


Time of Peace

by Alliswell



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Arranged Marriage, Brief Beastiality Dream Sequence/Discussion, F/M, Fluff and Smut, Mild Angst, mild depictions of violence, slightly OOC
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-27
Updated: 2019-06-11
Packaged: 2019-12-25 06:54:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18256055
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliswell/pseuds/Alliswell
Summary: Everlark Fic Exchange submission, based off:Prompt 48: Their people had a period of peace that stared to crumpled when bad choices and bad people started to destroy that. With a war in the horizon, there is only one choose to keep the peace. The chief’s daughter needs to marry the crown prince. Werewolf!Peeta Humans and wolves. [submitted by @animekpopxx]





	1. Purification Day

**Author's Note:**

  * For [anime1angel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/anime1angel/gifts).



> The Hunger Games and it’s characters belong to Suzanne Collins. I just write fan fiction. 
> 
> Thank you to anime1angel (animekpopxx@tumblr) for another great prompt… I think all the ones I took this time around are yours! 
> 
> @everlarkficsexchange for hosting this event.
> 
> and my incredible Beta WingletBlackbird, for your help and dedication in such short notice, you are awesome!!! Thank you to all the amazing people reading and supporting all the authors contributing to the exchange. 
> 
> I’m posting this fic in smaller chapters, but you can read the whole thing on tumblr if you rather know what’s going to happen right away.

_I’m running through the woods as fast as my legs can carry me. The trees cast sinister, strange shadows all around me but I keep running, running, running while my heart beats as fast as hummingbird wings._

_Suddenly, a loud, threatening howl fills the woods; the trees seem to inch closer together, corralling me into a clearing I don’t recognize._

_There’s a rustling of leaves behind me, but there comes a time when one needs to stop running and face what’s chasing you, so I turn just in time to see the big, bulky wolf step into the clearing, blocking my way out._

_He’s taller and wider than normal wolves, but that’s to be expected. This kind only comes out to hunt during the full moon, and some say they can’t recognize friend from foe during fights._

_I retreat to the trees, looking for low branches to climb, but there’s nowhere to go. The wolf stalks me, breathing heavily, grunting lowly._

_I’m panting, looking around in case I’ve missed something that could help escape, but I see nothing useful. My father once told me one could reason with the wolves if they’re not in a voracious trance, but this one looks ravenous and it’s staring at me like I’m his next meal. I raise my hands trying to placate it, but before I can utter a word, the wolf jumps at me._

_A tunnel opens up through the dense vegetation, I run through it with the wolf hot on my heels. The beast is gaining on me, his howls deafening behind me. I trip on my feet, falling on my hands and knees. It’s no use, the wolf is on top of me._

_He tosses me around like a rag doll, until I land on my ass, hard. The wolf stalks towards me on his hind legs, like a man; his powerful thighs are covered in thick coarse hair all the way to his belly, but the strangest thing is that his genitalia is unmistakably human._

_Not just human, but completely erect and proud._

_I don’t know what comes over me, but suddenly my mouth is watering; my heart races erratically, and my breathing becomes ragged; my eyes can’t look away from his erection._

_He’s deliberately slowly approaching me, growling. His front paw lifts from his side, but it isn’t a regular lupine paw; this one has elongated fingers with opposable thumbs that end in very sharp claws. The tip of his claws barely touch my clothes, but everything falls off my body in ribbons._

_I can see the hunger in his eyes as he takes in my nakedness and my thighs part willingly for his greedy eyes. He lowers to the ground on four legs bringing his snout between my legs; his tongue peeks out of his mouth. I think he’s going to lick me right there so I shut my eyes tightly and then…_

 “Katniss!”

_How odd. The wolf knows my name, but his voice is so girly._

The world shakes under me.

“Katniss! Katniss wake up!”

I sit up with a loud gasp, throwing punches in the air and groaning in aggravation.

“Katniss! Thank Father Sun you’re awake!” Says my little sister in a relieved tone.

“Prim, what… what’s going on?” I ask groggily, trying to shake off the last tendrils of sleep out of my head.

“You were having a nightmare.” Prim tells me with wide eyes I can barely make out in the dimness of our hut.

I know I was having a vivid dream that left me exhausted, anxious, and disappointed, the problem is I can’t remember the dream at all.

“Are you sure? I don’t remember anything I was dreaming of.”

“Well, I’m pretty sure it was a nightmare, since you were moaning, whining and kicking in your sleep. What else could have been?”

“Yeah…” I concede. “You must be right, Little Duck. Thank you for waking me up.” I tell her gratefully, and then yawn mightily. “We should go back to bed—“

“Um… actually, we can’t.” Says Prim scowling. “I think you’ve overslept as it is.”

“What?”

“It’s Purification Day, Katniss. Mother left about fifteen minutes ago, and told me to wake you up.”

I groan loudly and drop back in bed. “Do I have to go?”

“Yes! And if you don’t get up soon, Papa will come home and realize you never went to the Washings.”

I bemoan my luck and kick my wool blanket aside. I stand from my sleep roll and pull on my moccasin boots while trying to hop out the door on one foot.

“Aren’t you going to change clothes?” My sister gives me horrified glance.

I take a roll from the kitchen table and stuff it in my mouth. “M-no. M-haf-ta mbathe there m-nyway.” I kick the door open, rebraiding my hair.

“Katniss,” Prim calls.

I look at her and spot the bag swinging from her hand. My game bag, filled with a change of clothes, towels, and soaps and oils. All things my mother made me pack last night for the Washing Ceremonies today.

“Thank you, Little Duck. You’re the best sister ever.” I tell her planting a kiss on her cheek.

She chuckles, but then she reminds me I’m late, and my hair is still a mess.

It’s really dark outside. Even darker than my regular hunting mornings. I sigh, and take in a mouthful of chilly air. It’s the first day of May, and spring is still cool at this time of the morning.

I’m the only girl walking through the village, which makes my shoulders sag. If I’m the only one, then there’s no way I can pretend I was there all along, and my mother must be confusing me with some other tardy girl. I take off running, which is probably unladylike and frowned upon, especially today, but I have no other choice.

By the time I come to the top of the hill before the river, I see my father and his second in command standing halfway between me and my mother, who’s impatiently waiting for me at the foot of the hill.

“You’re late, Sweetheart.” Says Haymitch, my father’s oldest friend and most trusted counselor.

“You’re sober, Haymitch.” I remark glaring at him.

“Most be ‘hate-my-life’ day then.” He grunts.

My mouth is forming a comeback, but my father speaks, “Hurry to your mother, Katkin. Just because you’re my daughter, doesn’t mean you’re not expected to be punctual.”

“Yes, father.” I say contritely.

I’m only two steps away when he calls me. “Katniss?”

I turn to him.

He’s smirking. “Don’t let the women wash away the calluses on your shooting fingers. I’ve invested way too much time creating those, to have them erased in one washing.”

I grin at him, and then skip the rest of the way to meet my mother.

“Finally!” She mutters when I stand in front of her. She sighs. “I was about to go fetch you myself.”

My aunt, Effie, runs from the edge of the river where the rest of the women that wanted to come to the ceremony are reunited. She takes a sweeping look at me from head to toe, and sniffs. “Young lady... couldn’t you have worn the deerskin dress I left out for you?” She laments. “Or any dress? At least this once?”

“Never mind that. Come, Katniss. We are late as it is.” Replies my mother, taking a hold of my wrist and dragging me the rest of the way to the river.

“But… it’s her Purification Day!” Cries Effie. “Why can’t she look like a sweet girl for her Washing Ceremonies? I told her today was big, big, big day for her, and she still didn’t listen to me.”

Normally mother doesn’t care what I wear, but right now she’s looking a bit annoyed. I’m unsure whether her mood is directed at her half sister or me. Either way, I try to shrink into the background as much as possible not to draw her attention to my day old clothes.

I’m surprised to see so many women waiting for me. I believe half the elder female of the tribe are reunited in this river bank, which makes me itchy and twitchy just looking at them.

“Why are there so many women here?” I ask my mother in a harsh whisper.

“Because you’re the Chief’s daughter,” She replays back.

“And, the most likely candidate to toast with that handsome Gale Hawthorne.” Says ain’t Effie dreamily.

“What?!” I stop dead in my tracks, causing my mother to stumble, since she’s still gripping my wrist in her hand. “I’m not marrying Gale! I’m not marrying anyone!”

“Hush!” My mother hisses, her cool blue eyes scanning the crowd, making sure nobody heard me. “Your father hasn’t come to a decision yet, but you have to agree that marrying Gale will put you in a very prominent place amongst your people.” Mother says bitterly. And with reason.

Mother is not actually a Seam. In fact, she’s not merely human at all.

Of course she’s my blood and all, but she’s part of a caste— better yet, a race— of people that can turn into wolves. People call them ‘Children of Mother Moon’ or simply, The Pack.

My mother is not a shifter herself, and that’s why she was allowed to come live within the Seam’s tribe; but she still has certain abilities, such as self healing, endurance and acute hearing. The rest of her kind—the Pack— physically turn into wolves every full moon and have pretty much the same gifts as my mother, plus sense of smell and night vision, which makes them amazing trackers and hunters, just like their counterparts in the wild.

In their human form, they share similar traits such as blonde or auburn hair, light skin, blue or green eyes. They can be fastidiously well spoken and have crazy strict traditions, even more taxing than Purification Day.

When my father married my mother, his Chiefdom title was almost stripped off him; if it hadn’t been for Haymitch’s quick thinking and the promise of appeasing the unrest between our tribe and the Pack, my father would’ve lost his position and quite possibly his good name. Our people worked out an agreement with the Pack way back then, and we've lived peacefully, sharing the land and its fruits ever since.

Now, it isn't completely unheard of werewolves and Seams mixing and having affairs. Why my aunt Effie is product of one sordid union between my mother’s wolf father, and a pretty tribes woman. Effie is considered the pinnacle of sophistication in our village and is admired by many… which is strange, since she’s not the brightest person I know.

“Well, not to worry my dear. I am sure the Chief will come to a wise decision, as always.” Effie smiles indulgently at us, and it’s hard to keep annoyed with her when her caring nature shows through.

“Welcome, Katniss, daughter of Chief Everdeen!” I’m startled. I haven’t finish dropping my game bag on the ground when the ceremony starts. “Come to waters, to start your journey into womanhood!” Grandma Sae, the oldest person in the tribe greets me with open arms; her voice still clear despite her age, breaks the silence of the woods.

The woman is not actually my grandmother, but everyone in the village calls her Grandma anyway. She looks almost comical, wearing her ceremonial robes, like she’s shrunk since the last time she wore them, which is a real possibility.

“Come forth child, and let the mothers and grandmothers of your tribe guide you.” Sae continues.

My mother and aunt Effie nudge me forward, while they take their place amongst the other women.

“Disrobe, child. Here we leave the clothes of a little girl, and symbolically wash away your inexperience.”

All the women of the tribe converge on me and quite unceremoniously pluck me out of my shirt, trousers and shoes, until I’m left in the middle of the ring without a stitch of clothing on. I cover myself anyway I can, because other than my sister, Primrose, nobody has seen me in less than sleeping clothes. I’m very uncomfortable with this nudity, but this is all part of the tradition, and since my whole family will be shamed if I don’t follow our customs, I simply take a deep breath, close my eyes, and give myself to the rituals of Purification Day.

Aunt Effie would say, in her diplomatic cadence, that Purification Day is a rite of passage, from child to woman.

A girl is expected to enter the Purification rites one week before her 17th birthday, when she becomes of age, and the new woman can take a trade, or enter into a marriage contract soon after.

Purification Day has been practiced for generations upon generations, and consists of three parts called: Washing Ceremonies. The first washing is at dawn, the next one at noon, and the last one at evening.

The dawn ceremony, or First Washing, takes place at the river, where we normally bathe and do laundry. A sixteen year old girl has to symbolically wash away her childhood, and let the river take away all childish behavior in its currents under the watchful eye of the all the mothers, grandmothers and aunts in the family… or in my case, the whole village. Once the bath is over, the elder women will teach the young ones the proper way to wash clothes in the river, by beating the garments with rocks and sticks.

That part I’ve always considered absurd and redundant, since most girls are taught to do laundry as soon as ten years old, so they can help with chores around their homes.

Then, at midday, after the hunters and gatherers have return from their morning expeditions, the young women have to collect the food her family is going to prepare for supper, and bring it to the well in the middle of town to be cleaned. That’s the Second or Noon Washing. New women are expected to cook the meal on their own with limited help from their mother or grandmother. In this ceremony, one has to wash hands all the way to the elbows, face down to the neck, and some families include feet and ankles… not mine, which is fine by me.

The game from the hunters and the crops and greens from the gatherers have to be washed and butchered right after a young lady does her ceremony. Not all the girls manage to complete the butchering and cooking, so their mother’s usually have to step in the first time around. A lot is forgiven on the noon ceremony, because nobody likes to suffer food poisoning.

The last washing, is the one I’m looking forward to the most: hot water springs! Every important woman in the life of the girl— sister, friends, cousins, mother, aunts, teachers, etc.— can participate of this washing. The young woman is escorted to the springs by the most important females in her inner circle, and they help by fixing her evening bath throwing aromatic flowers, oils, and salts into a small water pool by the springs.

The young woman can receive a scalp massage, her feet can be treated with a pommes stones, and her fingernails trimmed and filed by her closest friends and relatives. Of course, I’m choosing to ignore the main lesson of this washing, which is the most useless of all in my opinion: to learn proper grooming for the wedding night.

I made my father promise me he’d think about letting me take a trade, instead of setting me up in a marriage contract. My dream job is to become a permanent member of the hunting party, but that marriage to Gale Hawthorne nonsense has cropped up before, and father won’t make a definite decision on the matter.

Gale Hawthorne is my third cousin, and next in line for the Chiefdom, after my father passes away, or abdicates his position. Marrying Gale would cement both our claim to leadership of the Seams.

I redress quickly after my bath, there’s no reason to wait for the women to mob me again with their ‘helpful’ hands as if I was a helpless toddler. And that’s when things go wrong.

I grab the basket of laundry my mother brought with her this morning, and start selecting the garment I want to wash first; the ladies around me do the same and we all start the tedious task together. The shirt I was supposed to wash hasn’t even been submerged in the water yet when my mother stands from her place next me and cranes her neck downriver.

I’ve learned to be alert when my mother reacts to sounds only she can hear, so I jump up, “What is it?” I ask breathlessly.

The rest of the women look up at her as well.

My mother turns to us and commands urgently, “Everybody, take your things and run for home! Wolves are on the way.”

The full moon isn’t for another week or so, but it’s sort of like an unspoken rule that women clear the river if wolves come to bathe or wash.

I’m already slapping stuff into our basket before mother’s done talking. Most women are ready to go by the time I look up, but others are taking their sweet time. Soon the sound of voices and laughter grows gradually louder. The rest of the women pick up their stuff fast and hurry up the hill towards home. My mother and Effie take the rear of the group while Hazelle Hawthorne, another influential lady of the tribe, takes the front.

I’m passing my mother, who’s helping a woman heavily pregnant carry her basket when she speaks, “Katniss, Grandma Sae is not in the group!” my mother practically pushes the woman she’s helping up the hill.

I bolt back to the river’s edge, and find Sae struggling to pick up a bag with her very wet clothes.

“I’ll take this, Grandma. You go join the others!”

“No child, this is my burden, and I’m not going to run for no rowdy boys, even if they’re wolves!”

The river is neutral ground. Both our clans are expected to respect each other’s right to the water, so there haven’t been any disputes over the river since before I was born; there’s no reason for anyone to believe there would ever be one, but whatever my mother heard, was reason enough to disrupt my first washing ceremony, so I really don’t want to stay around to figure out what’s going on without my bow.

“It’s alright, grandmother, helping you is an honor and part of being an adult, so stop arguing with me, and give me the bag.” I wink at her for good measure. Sae is a sassy lady who likes to jest in difficult situations.

The woman cackles, and dumps her load on my shoulders rather happily, and you’d never know she was so old just watching her stroll up that hill even faster than the few eighteen and nineteen year old women in the group.

Unfortunately, I’m not fast enough, and soon I can hear clearly a group of young voices somewhere on the other side of the river.

The obnoxious laughter grows louder as a group of around ten guys break out of the woods on the opposite bank. The newcomers don’t seem to notice me, but still I try to quicken my step. Instead, I trip on a loose pebble and Sae’s heavy bag tips back throwing off my balance.

I tumble down the hill like an avalanche of wet rags and sore girl. All I can do is clench my eyes shut and brace for impact at the foot of the hill, while pleading with all my ancestors, I don’t get too bruised up.

The next thing I know, I’m miraculously wrapped into warm, comforting padding, shielded from the worst of the fall.

I’m momentarily confused, because I can’t fathom what could have saved me from colliding with hard, possibly jagged stones at the bottom of the hill.

And then, I hear the last voice I expected to aid me in this embarrassing situation. “Are you alright, mistress?”

The voice is deep, velvety, and warm. I would recognize it anywhere, despite never having spoken to its owner directly. I've become familiar with his specific frequency and cadence through years of diplomatic and protocolar functions between our peoples.

I’m suddenly very aware of my body’s position, sprawled over his solidly built body in a very undignified way, not very diplomatic or protocolarly acceptable. My eyes finally fly open and I’m confronted with clear blue eyes that look at me with concern.

I try scrambling to my feet, and Peeta, Prince of the Wolves, tries to help me up, which is no good at all, because his touch is making my head spin, bringing inexplicable memories of my dream this morning, making my stomach burn and rendering clumsy my every move.

It takes great effort to stand. We keep falling and sliding on the ground. There’s mud everywhere and the contents of Sae’s bag are littered all over the damp dirt.

Another hand materializes above us, and they try to pull us up just when I hear the pounding of many feet descending the hill, and the sound of a war horn—that hasn’t been blown in years— fills the whole valley. A war cry follows the horn, and the prince’s heart starts beating wildly in his chest, right under my palm.

“Get off her, mutt!”

I curse under my breath because I recognize that voice too, and nothing good is going to come out of Gale Hawthorne’s hotheadedness meddling in this whacky situation.

I try to push off the prince’s chest, again, and I swear he wraps his arm protectively around my waist tighter, as if reluctant to let go of me.

Nonetheless, the prince rocks us up to our feet, just when a heavy hand falls on my shoulder and yanks me back, out of the prince’s arms. I’m surprised to find my father in looking me over for a quick second and immediately shifting his hard gaze to the men from the other side of the river gathered around me.

“Your trespassing, wolf!” Says my father, although the prince has his hands up in surrender and is slowly stepping back into the water.

That’s when I notice he’s soaking wet, his riot of blonde curls lay flat, plastered to his skull and face. His clothes are completely covered in mud, and he’s dripping water everywhere. A taller man— the most handsome man I ever set eyes on— I recognize as Beta Odair, is keeping close to Prince Peeta. I guess it was his helping hand that tried to pull us up before my father’s arrival. Odair’s legendary sea green eyes quietly study my father and his warriors. He too is drenched head to toe, but there isn’t a spect of mud on him I can see.

“It wasn’t my intention to trespass into your territory, mighty Chief Everdeen—“ starts the prince, but Gale interrupts.

“Then what was your intention, dog breath? To attack the Chief’s daughter?”

Gale lunges forward as he’s saying the words; everything happens so fast. Gale is a foot away from the Prince with his spear pointed at his heart; I’m running after Gale, screaming at the top of my lungs for him to stop, and suddenly, Beta Odair is there, standing like a solid wall between Gale and Peeta. Odair moves with such speed, that I’m surprised Gale wasn’t thrown on his ass with the force.

“Enough!” My father calls out. “Prince of the Wolves, as Chief of The Seam, I demand an explanation. You were found on my territory, in a compromising position with my daughter.”

“Father, it’s not what you think—” I speak up, but I get ignored when Gale can’t keep his mouth shut.

“You can’t believe a word this mutt says!”

“I don’t know who you take me for, son of the Sun, but I would never harm a lady. I’m going to overlook your derogatory words this time, because the situation is unusual and emotions are running high. But make no mistake, I am Prince Peeta, only heir of Alpha Mellark, and I won’t tolerate your disrespect again.”

“Gale!” Father calls him in a tone that leaves no room for arguments. “Mind yourself!”

Still, Gale doesn’t back down, holding a staring competition with Odair, like he could inflict any damage on the man. He finally returns to his position on the line of warriors armed with spears and bows. I can’t help rolling my eyes.

After a few tense moments, Prince Peeta speaks. “I apologize for the misunderstanding. We didn’t mean to disrupt the women’s chores earlier. We just ended a long night of hunting, and wanted to clean up before returning home. We almost turned back, but the women moved on. We figured it’d be a waste and a dishonor to your brave women to scare them away for naught.

“When we were at the river bank, Mistress Everdeen had an unfortunate mishap. I was trying to help, but it seems I made things worse for everyone. And for that, receive my most sincere apologies. I would never do anything to harm your people, Chief Everdeen, least of all your own flesh and blood.”

“Katniss, is this true?” Asks my father in a hard tone I’m not used to hear.

I look up at him, and nod vehemently. “It is father. The prince saw me fall. I was heading to the washing stones, I could’ve hurt myself severely. He saved me. Nothing else. It’s the truth.”

Father stares at me with piercing gray eyes that scrutinized me like I could be hiding anything from him, and once he’s satisfied I’m being truthful, he looks at prince Peeta.

“Very well. Let this be a one time incident, and never repeat it. Everyone, peace is restored between our factions.” Without further discussion, Father commands us all to march back home, and the wolves return to whatever they wanted to do originally.

 

* * *

 

Purification Day goes by without a hitch. To my people’s everlasting credit, no one— other than Gale— mentions the embarrassing encounter with the wolves, because nobody wants to stir up that pot of worms.

The Wolves and the Seams have a long history of wars, death, and rivalry. Early on it was agreed that each race would keep to one side of the river, and never cross the other’s territory without invitation. The game of the region is supposed to be managed responsibly by both our clans, and one can’t steal kills from the other, but through history, those rules have been tested and broken numerous times, causing tension and animosity every so often.

When my father became Chief, he vowed to stop the bloodshed, and an era of peace was reached when the Alpha allowed my father to marry my mother. Our borders have been respected and we have even worked with the wolves during hunting excursions, sharing prey and crops. But lately, there’s an unrest between the Tribe and the Pack.

Sometimes, I’m afraid it’s only a matter of time before someone like Gale does something to start a row, and all our years of hard earned peace would be lost in the blink of an eye.

I just hope I’m wrong.


	2. Truce and Diplomacy

The last rite of Purification Day comes as a welcome reprieve.

Primrose, Aunt Effie and Mother sit on the edge of the small, semicircle pool I’m marinating in with their feet in the the warm water.

My only friend, Rue, who’s actually Prim’s age, was allowed to tag along for the ceremony, but she’s kept busy trying different plants and fruits for their aromas, tossing in the pool all kinds of crazy combinations. She claims that lavender, peony and rose—which incidentally is all my mother and Effie brought with them— are too predictable and expected and nothing like me. So she’s set out to find some other fragrance that’s more appropriate for me… whatever that means.

“Eucalyptus!” Rue calls out loudly, tossing a bag of dry eucalyptus leaves she brought from home.

I choke immediately, coughing my lungs out. When I calm down enough, I fish the offending pouch out of my hot bath, and lob it as far away from me as I can.

“Lemon! Sage! Basil!” Rue calls out sprinkling leaves and slices of fruit into the water.

“Rue!” I growl, but my mother, Prim and surprisingly even Effie are laughing merrily at Rue’s antics, so I splash at my mischievous friend, chuckling as well.

A shadow looms above me and before my eyes can make the trek up the person blocking the glow of my lamp, a flat, cold voice interrupts our fun.

“My, my. Did we come to the wrong gathering?” Every set of eyes follow the voice, as three figures come into focus… two of them seem to hesitate. “I thought we are attending a Washing Ceremony, not a cookout. Lemon, sage, and basil, sound like a recipe for fish stew, won’t you agree Hazelle, dear?”

Hazelle Hawthorne, Gale’s mother, glares at the woman speaking, but before she can say anything, my mother stands up and greets the newcomers coldly.

“Alma.” Mother addresses the speaker with barely restrained annoyance, “What a surprise. I wasn’t aware you were joining us. Of course Hazelle and little Posy are more than welcome to come with us as are Katniss’ beloved cousins.”

Actually, Alma Coin is my father’s closest living relative; they’re second cousins once removed. Alma is Gale’s aunt, and Hazelle’s sister-in-law.

Unlike my father, who has me and Prim, Alma has no living direct family, so she’s been hovering over Gale since he was named my father’s closest male relative, and next in line for chiefdom.

The problem is Alma despises everything my father does; marrying my mother was just the last nail on the coffin, because of her ancestry. As for me, Alma has been trying to recruit me into her hate mongering ways since I can remember. Although Gale’s completely loyal to my father, his aunt, Alma, has great influence on him.

That said, her intrusion in my washing ceremony is unwelcome and downright rude.

“Well, we thought that since our Gale will soon be named Katniss’ fiancé, when the announcement of his request of her hand in marriage—“

“What?!” I screech and splash in the spring. “Gale is what?”

Alma glares at me as if I was some insignificant inconvenience, and continues as if nothing has happened, “It would be appropriate to participate in this last ritual, as future direct family of the bride to be.”

One glance at Prim and Aunt Effie tells me they are as flabbergasted as I am. My mother looks livid on the other hand, which leads me to believe she’s already aware of this tidbit of information.

Sure, everyone expects Gale to pursue me as his bride to strengthen his claim to the chiefdom, but he making his proposal official is news to me.

“May I remind you that just because a proposal has been made, doesn’t necessarily mean a decision has been reached?” Says my mother with venom in her voice. “We have yet to speak to Katniss of this, and you know better than anyone that coming to an accord before the prospective bride’s seventeenth birthday is unheard of. Even for a chief’s daughter.”

“Oh, are we following tradition now? How quaint.” Says Alma without missing a beat and proceeds to sit on an old fallen log nearby.

Hazelle, looking embarrassed and chagrined starts a soft apology. I think she’d much rather leave, but my Aunt Effie is quick to come forth and embrace her and her young daughter, Posy.

“Hazelle, my dear friend! Please, come, come. Sit, sit. How wonderful to have you and sweet, little Posy with us.”

Prim and Rue make room for the tween girl between them and promptly have her barefoot and dipping her toes in the hot water with the rest of my family. My mother is warmer towards Hazelle and Posy as well; we all know they wouldn’t have come if not for nosy Alma, and honestly, we do like the Hawthorne women… with the obvious exception of course.

I notice Hazelle has brought a bag with her.

“What did you bring, Hazelle?” I ask from my perch, trying to ignore Alma’s attempts at controlling the conversation.

“Oh. Just some soaps and flowers I use in the laundry. Made them myself, you know.”

Hazelle is the head laundress in the tribe, although everyone is expected to help with their family’s chores, many people opt for trading with women like Hazelle, who take care of laundry for exchange of other goods.

“It isn’t much, but it’s gentle enough for baths.” Says Hazelle with a soft smile.

“Let us have it then. If we let Rue continue with her ideas, poor Katniss will end up smelling like a roast.” Quips Effie in a rare bout of humor.

Hazelle’s wares are incredible, and soon I’m left with soft, glowing skin that smell of orchids and strawberries. It’s a strange combination, but it works perfectly.

We have so much fun, we forget Alma is there until she clears her throat, clearly annoyed everyone is ignoring her.

“Katniss, dear, I believe it’s time to return to our huts. Please be done with your cleansing, so we can give you the final blessings.”

“Excuse me?” Says my mother in a dangerous tone. “As the matriarch in this family, the authority to call this ceremony to a close rests solely on me. If you are too fatigued to stay with the rest of us until I decide it’s time, then by all means, say your blessings now, we won’t hold it against you if you went home early. We will see that Hazelle and Posy make it home safely, once we’re done here.”

Alma’s lips form a thin line. Mother does have the last word in this matter, not only as my mother, but also as the Chief’s wife. Alma is twice outranked and truly she came out here uninvited. She sits there looking at us like she’s about to rip my mother’s head clean off her neck, for the rest of the night, which is only thirty more minutes including a ceremonial drying, the applying of some tonics and perfume and final blessings from the attendees.

On our walk back home— after returning the Hawthorne’s and Rue to their huts— Prim yawns and falls into step with me. I wrap my arm around her shoulders, and although she’s only half an inch shorter than me now, she rest her head on my shoulder and whispers lowly, so mother and Effie won’t hear.

“I think mother was about to call it a night when Alma decided to open her antagonistic, huge mouth. What do you think?” Prim sighs.

It’s true. Things were starting to naturally dwindle down around the time Alma tried to impose herself on us again, and as petty as mother’s response was, staying those extra minutes were just a matter of principle at that point.

“Well, hopefully that’ll teach Alma to mind her manners!” Says Effie with a haughty shake of her head, and after a moment of shock that we were overheard passes by, we all giggle together.

As a day I’ve been dreading for the past year, Purification Day wasn’t bad at all.

 

* * *

  

The talk about Gale’s proposal comes in the morning. Father and mother shoo Prim away after breakfast and then it’s only us three at home.

Prim gives me a tight smile and wishes me luck before ducking out the bamboo and leather door of our hut. She’s not fully gone when father starts telling me about Gale’s visit after the incident with the prince.

I never pegged Gale for the romantic type, but according to my parents, he delivered this ardent speech about how him and I belonged together and how perfect a pair we’d make, and with him as Chief and me hanging on his arm, the village would flourish into a golden age of prosperity— as if what my father has done for the last twenty years accounts for nothing!

Of course, Alma was with Gale the whole time instead of his own mother— probably feeding him the lines of his speech— as the leader of his family, although that role belongs to Gale as the eldest male in the Hawthorne’s home.

I groan, “You’re not really considering this, are you?” I ask my parents staring at them in turn.

“We have to consider all the options, my wild flower.” Says my father.

“Not all of them” Whispers my mother under her breath while pouring tea into a pewter mug for my father.

“Who?” I ask watching my father’s lip twitch in something aching to warning.

“Nobody we can consider, dear. Just a misguided little boy years ago.” Says mother taking her sit next to father.

I purse my lips for a moment. “Well, I much rather wait for a little boy to be of age and marry _him_ , than sharing a roof with Alma; that’s for sure.” I say brattily.

My mother pulls a face, and spirals into a strained spiel, “Will that really be your decision, Katniss? You can’t just dive blindly into that kind of thing—“

Father starts laughing uproariously cutting off mother’s ranting. She gives a look that would have any other man shaking in their boots, but father just hugs her and kisses her lips mid laughter, until she has enough and pushes him away. I’m smiling too, watching my parents’ little spat.

“I fail to see the humor in this! We are discussing your daughter’s future!” She grounds through gritted teeth.

“Oh, beloved!” Father sighs. “I think you’ve mistaken Katniss’ sarcasm for truth.”

Mother looks crossed but she blinks away her confusion for understanding, and that gives way to a mortified moodiness I’ve only ever seen in Effie before now.

“What does Katniss want then?” Mother demands more annoyed than affronted.

“I think I just rather be a hunter.” I say giving father my biggest pleading eyes, hoping he’d just let me stay single… at least until someone else catches my eye.

“We’ll see, Katkin, we will see.”

 

* * *

  

The dream starts anew with me running through the woods being chased by wolves.

_This time I reach the clearing right as a painful stitch in my side makes me trip over and fall._

_The humanoid wolf is once more walking towards me upright, on his hind legs. His hairy fingers grow sharp claws he uses to shred my clothes to smithereens, and then cups my face into both his paws, caressing my cheeks with his thumbs. His nose is touching mine, but it’s strangely dry and cold, and then I open my own eyes and look past his menacing muzzle, over his snout, into his clear blue eyes._

_My legs fall open at each side of me, and the wolf scoots closer between them. I make the mistake of looking down, and catch sight of his engorge erection, so man-like— although I’ve never seen an actual man naked in my life— and I’m about to cry out a small protest, when a loud commotion outside the hut wakes me up with a start._

Prim is already up and wrapping a robe around herself. “Katniss, here!” She tosses me the robe draped over the foot of my bedroll as I’m kicking off my covers.

We both rush out of the heavy curtain separating our sleeping areas with the rest of our home. Mother is standing at the door looking anxiously outside. Father is nowhere to be found, so we join Mother.

“What’s going on?” I ask digging my fingers into my mother’s elbow.

She looks at me as if she’s just waking up from a bad dream herself. “I’m not sure.” She mutters. “Your father is out there, trying to calm people down and learn what’s happened. He ordered me to stay home and keep both of you safe.” She says solemnly.

Well, he didn’t tell me to stay put, so as fast as I can, I zoom past my mother into the open door and force my bare feet to ignore the ground and pebbles I step on while pumping my legs to the limit. My mother stays at the door calling me to come back, but I don’t dare look at her. I keep going and lose sight of them around the corner of one shack, just to come across my father and a crowd of people in their sleep clothes, surrounding Gale and his friends, Thom and Bristel.

“... did you want to accomplish Gale?!” My father’s voice drips with displeasure and anger. “We’ll be two horses down and there’s no telling if there will be damage to our crops.”

“Sir, the wolves invaded our borders and endangered one of our own. I say our retaliation was justified—“

“Retaliation? Justified? All I heard from your story is how a trio of hotheaded children rushed the Pack’s camp and torched their wheat fields, then got chased off their borders, and instead of fleeing somewhere away from the village, you cut through our own fields and brought an unnecessary scuffle home to top it all off. Did I miss anything?” My father is so angry, a can see a vein tensing in his neck.

“They attacked Katniss first!” Yells Gale.

“Gale, the Prince didn’t attack Katniss. She’d fallen and could’ve broken her neck on the river rocks if they hadn’t come to her aid.”

“They trespassed! And they could’ve soiled my bride if we hadn’t stopped them—“

“I’m not your bride!” I screech over the hubbub.

The crowd goes silent and all eyes stare at me.

“I’m not your bride.” I repeat sullenly, under my breath.

“Sure you’ll be, Catnip. It’s already been discussed.” Gale says with a warning in his soft tone.

“Boy, just because you came telling me why I should let you marry my daughter, does not mean there was a discussion, much less an agreement. And after your seriously misguided hijinks tonight, I doubt you’re ready for a wife at all, let alone be Chief of the Seams, but this isn’t the place or the time to have this conversation.”

“I did what needed to be done, since nobody did anything to show the wolves they can’t just do as they pleased, disrespecting our tribe.”

“Son, you could’ve caused great damage tonight by being brush. You went out there without your leader’s approval and we won’t know the cost until tomorrow,” Haymitch’s dangerous gray eyes stare at Gale. The man is speaking with this even, slow cadence, that only serves to bring the fear of Father Sun into us. “One should never do the first thing that pops in our heads, kid. Most cases it’ll turn out to be some stupid bullshit that’ll land you in a heap of trouble.”

Gale’s jaw muscles tense; his eyes flit momentarily towards Alma's retreating form in the very back of the crowd, and my gut tells me tonight’s incident is Alma’s brainchild, not Gale’s. He’s just the scapegoat.

“I think we should all go to our houses and sleep. If the pack was going to retaliate tonight, they’d’ve already come.”

My father comes to my side and gives me a quick disapproving glance before putting his hand on shoulder to guide me home.

“I’m sorry if I spoke out of turn.” I mumble to the ground.

My father gives my shoulder a gentle squeeze, and lets it go. “No, Katkin. Gale is assuming too much and fooling himself into lofty conclusions. But, you’re here when you were supposed to be home under your mother’s supervision. I have no other recourse than to leave you to her discretion once we get home.”

“What do you mean?” I ask him widening my eyes.

“I won’t intervene if she sees fit to ground you.” He tells me arching both brows.

I scowl turning my face away from his.

When we’re finally home, my mother simply glares at me and orders me straight to bed. In the morning, I’m made to do my chores, and then I have to attend a sewing gathering with the married women— something I haven’t done since I was old enough to go catch bullfrogs at the creek on my own— and after that, I had to sit home and stargaze from my bedroom window, while Prim and Rue go around doing fun stuff without me.

It was the most boring day ever, until my dreams came back to plague me. This time is not an anthropomorphic wolf who visits me, but Gale.

_Gale’s in his Chief outfit, his headpiece is made of buck antlers so big, I’m not sure how he’s walking upright; his robes are made of colorful wool and soft tan deerskin. But there’s a rattlesnake wrapped around his forehead, hissing into his ear. The snake coils down one arm, while the tail is wraps around his wrists tightly._

_I’m trying to warn him of the danger, but the snakes bifurcated tongue won’t let him hear me. I have to think of something to free him from it, but I can’t get close enough to help._

I end up waking in a cold sweat, breathing frantically and almost crying aloud, knowing the snake will claim my friend’s life if I don’t get back to him and kill the reptile.

“Katniss?” Prim mumbles groggily from her bedroll. “Are you okay?” She’s trying so hard to sit up.

“I’m fine Prim. Just a bad dream. Go back to sleep, Little Duck.”

“M-kay… but you let me know if you need-“ yawn, “anything.”

“I will. Thanks.”

I smile because Prim’s bleary eyes shut and a slow snore escapes her pretty much instantly.

I’m still shaken by my dream about Gale; sleep eludes me thinking of a way to help him out, until dawn.

 

* * *

 

Alpha Mellark sends a messenger to request a meeting, just as our own messenger was being dispatched for the same purpose.

Thom, Bristel and Gale have to prepare apologies to clan Mellark for burning down their fields.

The meeting is to take place in the Pack’s riverbank. I’m allowed to come listen in for the first time ever, mainly because Gale claims his actions are a direct result of the incident of the morning of Purification Day. Haymitch is there too, watching me like a hawk, which is a little unnerving, and Gale and his friends will have to sit in the canoe we’ll use to get across, until they’re summoned to the meeting.

Alma is hovering in my periphery, but I pay her no attention, instead I shoulder my bow, if I trust anyone with a bow and arrow, it’s myself. But Alma insists on lurking in the background, so I stare at her this time, letting her know I see her, and I’m onto her, whatever she’s trying to do.

The wolves are already waiting for us. They look so dignified and regal despite some people from the tribe— mainly Alma and whomever’s ears she has— consider them savage animals with no refinement or civility.

My father and Alpha Mellark bow to one another and after a moment, they embrace briefly, in an amicable display of unity, like they do every time they meet.

The only way I can describe the Pack, is like, city folk. They wear leather boots that lace up, thin linen shirts, sturdy dark trousers that button up in the front. A few of them wear suspenders, and the women present are clad in colorful calico dresses which mother would adore.

Their faces are solemn. Pale skin from being indoors often, and flowing golden hair that frame clear blue eyes, much like those on my mother and Primrose.

My mother and sister have always looked out of place in the tribe of olive skin, dark haired Seams. No wonder my mother has struggled so much to fit in with my people. At least I’m the spitting image of my father and people have never treated me like I don’t belong like they did to her before proving herself to be the best healer around.

I’ve never been officially introduced to the Pack, so I’m a little shy when my father calls my name and I’m engulfed in Alpha Mellark’s arms. His limbs are as thick as tree trunks and as warm as embers. I’m immediately transported to Purification Day morning, when the Prince’s arms were around me. Somehow, his embrace felt more familiar and softer than the one I’m in at the moment. I blush wondering if the prince will hug me now?

“Beautiful Katniss! Just as breathtaking as your mother, my cousin.” Says the Alpha.

I turn to see my father’s reaction, because I never knew mother was part of the pack’s monarchy, which may explain aunt Effie’s fastidiousness with manners and poise; if she too was a daughter of kings and alphas, then it was in her blood to act so… neatly.

My father nods imperceptibly, and I turn to give the Alpha a grateful nod. “T-thanks, Sir.”

“None of that sir business, dear! I’m your kin for all intents and purposes. But come, meet my son, Peeta, and his soon to be wife, Glimmer.”

I go mute for an awful minute.

One time, I was atop a tall apple tree, trying to grab the biggest apple before the rest of my friends. I went too far up on a dare, and the branch under me grew too frail and broke, sending me down like a sack of rocks. I caught a branch in the stomach and flipped around it one full spiral, then crashed to the ground, hard. I hurt so much, and the impact of the hard branch on my stomach knocked all the air out of me, when I open my mouth to sob, no sounds came out, which freaked me out more. I entered into this panic cycle where the harder I tried to cry, the harder it became to breathe, thus no sounds coming out of me.

It’s how I feel right now, looking at the woman hanging from the Prince’s elbow.

I noticed the beautiful lady, but I hadn’t taken the time to actually look at her. Every strand of golden hair is perfectly coiffed in place, her eyes are an otherworldly hue of green that rackes over my underwhelming figure and seemingly finds me lacking, because her lips twist upward in a mocking sneer she hides quickly when the Alpha faces her.

“We’ve already met, haven’t we Miss Everdeen?” Says the Prince with a soft, amicable smile.

I guess he won’t be giving me any hugs after all.

I give an awkward nod, “We got unofficially acquainted with each other the other morning.” Why does my voice sound so squeaky?

Although I was never invited to official meetings between the heads of the clans growing up— on account that I usually got bored pretty quick and meandered away anyway— Prince Peeta has always been at his father’s side, wherever the Alpha goes, since I can remember. It’s hard to miss a boy that smiles so warmly at everyone, but I guess I’ve been a little fixated on him since I was around thirteen; the prince is a couple of years older than me, and way friendlier than I’ll ever be, I saw him talking to this Seam girl, Leevy, once, and he gave her this lopsided smile that made him look so… _cute_ , and then he winked at her, making her giggle.

I don’t know why, but watching him do that, made my cheeks warm up and gave me a nervous twinkle in the pit of the stomach. After that, I started finding reasons to be around the places where the Wolf and Seam leaders were gathering for their conclaves and councils. As far as I can tell, I never actually set out to purposely see the prince, but now because of my gut reaction to the news of his engagement, I’m wondering if subconsciously, that’s all it was about?

Both my father and the Alpha laugh bringing me back to the present, and I have the nagging suspicions it’s me they find amusing.

If I could glare at either of them I would, but at the moment I’m rooted to the ground and my body muscles are frozen in place.

“I haven’t met the sweet, young girl!” Says Glimmer in a saccharine tone. “I’m Lady Glimmer, future Madam Alpha,” she titters and wraps both arms around the prince’s one.

“Charmed.” I tell her trying to emulate Effie’s mannerisms as closely as I can.

“How about Finnick? Have you met Finnick yet? And my beloved niece, Delly!” Alpha Mellark waves them over.

Beta Odair I recognize immediately. Everybody knows him, really. Every girl in the tribe swoons and giggles behind their school books or shawls when his name gets mentioned. He’s the most sensuous man— or wolf— I’ve ever seen, yet I don’t find him all that attractive. He seems the type to change girlfriends the same way one changes undergarments before each bath.

He’s always in some kind of official business when seen outside the pack’s territory; which accounts for how serious he always seems, but I can see a spark of deviousness in his sea green eyes when he finally reaches his big hand out for me to grasp.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Katniss. I’m Finnick Odair. You look lovely sans all that mud.” He winks at me.

I feel my cheeks heat up, but then I’m squeezing his huge hand so tightly he arches an eyebrow at our hands before smiling at me.

“Thank you, sir. You look shorter, now that I’m rightside up.” I quip before realizing what I’m doing.

There’s a second of silence, but then Haymitch’s guffawing. “What did I tell ya? Chief’s girl is got spunk!”

Finnick Odair joins in the laughter, and soon even I am smiling at the ridiculousness.

A look passes between the Beta and the Prince— a _knowing_ look— I can’t make out, so I move on to greet the last person in the Wolves’ party. A girl about my age with yellowish hair, so curly I can’t see how she’d ever get a brush through the strands. Her wide, happy blue eyes, and tiny nose make her face look sweet, but it’s the sight of her smile, biggest and most genuine I’ve ever seen before, that makes me like her. She’s got a bit of meat to spare on her bones too, but she’s pretty enough, and her dress fits perfectly over her curvy shape.

She, like the Alpha, throws her arms around me as if we are friends that haven’t seen each other in years finally reconnecting. “My word, Miss Katniss! Why you’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen!” She says giving me a tight squeeze. “I’m Madelynn by the way, but everyone calls me Delly. I’m acting Madam Alpha, since I’m the only female left in the family.”

“Oh,” I’m not sure what to say, “Hi, Miss Delly?” I look at my father for guidance, while awkwardly patting Delly’s back, but father is already immersed in conversation with the Alpha and completely ignoring me.

“Oh it’s a delight to finally meet you, Katniss! May I call you Katniss?” Delly has finally let go of me, but she’s talking a mile a second practically in my ear when I see my father wave at Gale and company to join us, and then Finnick taps the girl on the shoulder and she finally falls into place, next to the prince and his fiancée.

Father introduces Gale, his introduction goes unsurprisingly more subdued than mine. Then Gale gives his half hearted apology to the pack leaders while they watch stoically at him.

“My dear boy,” Says the Alpha, addressing Gale, who tenses at the endearment. “Have you ever heard about our past history? The Seams and The Pack?”

Gale stares at the man for a moment before nodding. “It’s filled with strife and truce over and over.”

“It’s also filled with blood and very costly losses.” Adds the Alpha. “Have you heard of the seventy-five years of darkness both our peoples lived during the reign of Alpha Snow?”

Gale nods once more, “Worse conflict in our history, I believe.”

“Right you are. It was a terrible time. Famine and illness ran rampant. War and bloodshed at every turn. Women and children tore apart so horribly, even now I have nightmares about it. Snow did not care if you were man or wolf; if you crossed him, you were his enemy, and he would destroy everything you held dear. Nothing was safe with him around. Nothing was sacred. Do you know how we were able to overthrow Snow’s regime of terror?”

“By throwing my people in between your army and his until you came up the victor.” Gale says with vitriol in his voice.

“No, lad.” Says Haymitch, to my surprise. His tone sad but sure. “It was a joint effort and every warrior in those battles came voluntarily, because it was the right thing to do. We fought shoulder to shoulder with the lot you call ‘mutts’, and endured bitter losses, but also celebrated great wins. We supported one another and worked together until the monster was finished and his body was broken in a million pieces.” Haymitch fixes his gray penetrating eyes on Gale and says, “Don’t let that aunt of yours fill your head with inaccuracies, kid. Learn your history for yourself, or you’ll be bound to repeat the same mistakes, like the fickle, forgetful creatures we humans are.”

Gale simply scowls, staring at the ground.

That dream about the snake twisting around Gale’s body smacks me in the gut, and I can’t unsee the image, desperately hoping Gale will hear reason now.

“Without the help of Chief Everdeen, we would’ve never dethroned Snow, and because of the sacrifice of your people, during that bitter war, I’m willing to overlook your actions against my people, young Master Hawthorne. I will attribute the loss of my whole crop of wheat to the saying of ‘boys will be boys’ and let you off with a warning.”

Gale looks up, ready to argue, but my father is quick to step in before Gale has a chance to make matters worse. “Thank you, my dear friend. This kindness won’t be forgotten.”

“There still be consequences.” Says Beta Odair gravely. “These _boyish_  actions have left our clan, without sustenance for the rest of the year. Sure, we can hunt, we are passable farmers, but we are not gatherers the same way you Seams are. With the sowing season gone, there won’t be time to plant any crops before winter, and I’m afraid we can’t survive on just the scraps we have in store now.”

“What do you propose?” Asks Haymitch, his eyes searching Odair’s face.

“A third of your crops. Grains are preferable if you can spare them.”

As expected, Gale gets worked up at once. “This is insane! I say n—“

“Yes.” Says my father firmly, giving Gale a hard glare. “I believe it’s a reasonable request, and I will personally see to it that it gets honored.”

“Sir! With all due respect. But you can’t agree to these demands! Our people will suffer—“

“Then you should’ve have thought about it before attacking the Pack during a period of peace, Gale Hawthorne!”

Everybody present winces.

I think this is the very first time anyone has heard my father raise his voice in anger at anyone, but he’s not done.

“If our people suffers hunger, it is your own doing, Gale. You acted of your own, without my counsel or blessing and brought this disgraceful punishment upon yourself. So now we all have to pay the price for your brashness. Now, we accept the terms of Alpha Mellark, and promise this entire animosity ends here!”

Nobody dares contradict my father. We all bow to the Wolves, as is our custom when an agreement has been reached, and one by one, we return to the canoes waiting to take us back to our own territory.

At least, this will mark the end of Gale’s warmongering, and we will all breathe easier again. Right?

 

* * *

 

Wrong!

So wrong!


	3. Steep Price to Pay

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Tax Day!!!
> 
> Hope everyone got a decent return or at the very least didn’t end up having to pay anything extra. 
> 
> This whole Fic was beta read by WingletBlackbird who’s pretty great at what she does!
> 
> Leave me a comment at the end if this story is to your liking;)

The full moon appears high in the sky the night before my birthday. There has been no more talk of my impending future as I become of age, which is a relief, really; but Gale has been oddly withdrawn and quiet for the last two days since the meeting with the clans’ heads.

Father called a tribe meeting the same evening to inform our people of the agreement with the pack. Most everyone bemoaned the deal. A third of our grains sounded like a very steep price, but nobody stopped to think about how extensive the damage Gale’s antics had cause the pack; and honestly, the third of our crops couldn’t possibly be enough to feed the pack outside of winter, when game was scarce and wild fruits and other foods were small pickings in the wild.

I felt awful for them, knowing they were actually very lenient with their punishment, because they could have demanded more, or worse, retaliate by torching our own crops, yet, they went the peaceful route and showed mercy to the tribe.

It should’ve been the end of the scuffles, but at midnight, on my seventeenth birthday, Gale led a group of disgruntled Seams back into Werewolf territory, causing a terrible bloodbath.

 

* * *

 

 

On the 8th day of May, while the sky is still very dark, my village lays in disarray.

Pools of blood seep into the dry earth all around our campground, and people shuffle around on quick feet, scanning the darkness with their limited human vision as best they can, trying to move the few farm animals we have left to safety, although the attack is over with now.

All our livestock is gone, either scattered into the wild, scared, or devoured in their pens, but no cattle remains. A severed chicken head lies near the well in the middle of the village; there’s no knowing where it came from or who it belonged to, so Thom, one of Gale’s friends, picks it up and throws it in a bag on the back of the cart he’s pulling around town, collecting animal gore, and injured people that tried to get in the way of the wolves.

My house is filled with the ones that need emergency healing, but my mother’s hands shake violently. She keeps muttering apologies under her breath to nobody in particular, until Prim takes the thread and needle from her hands and sutures the open wound mother was supposed to be working on. Prim’s voice on the other hand is soothing, and possibly the only thing keeping everyone from breaking apart.

Gale is sitting in a corner, bleeding from a scratch on his neck, but otherwise fine. He’s shaken and pale, his eyes are lost and unseeing, but I can’t find it in me to feel pity for him, so I look away and try not to breathe in the stench of sweat and blood coiling in the air while making my way out of the hut.

I’m armed with my bow and arrows when I step outside my house. I’m not sure what to do with myself, but I figure I’m more useful out here, on self appointed watch duty, than I’ll ever be inside with all the injured and maimed people.

I don’t think the Pack came here to kill any of us, they had their pick of our lot when they broke into the village and our warriors tried to defend our animals, but the message was clear: There’s a war brewing now, and you’re no match for us.

My father and Haymitch left to try and negotiate a solution with the Alpha Wolf, but everything is looking bleak right now.

It’s been confirmed by the returning rogue fighters, Gale’s raid killed one of them, and left another one badly beaten. The Pack will demand retribution, and this time it won’t be just a third of our crops.

Earlier, I heard a boy holding on to a dead sheep, scream at Thom, “What idiot thought it would be a good idea to go after group of werewolves on a full moon night?”

The kid was absolutely right. One just doesn’t go picking unprovoked fights with things that can eat you. You especially don’t ended up murdering somebody if you’re not prepared to pay blood for blood.

My eyes fill up with hot, angry tears. Today was supposed to be a happy day for my family. A day of celebration. Instead, my father is out there in the wild, looking for a werewolf king, trying to avoid a full on war that will kill us all, just because a teenager too blinded by anger and resentment couldn’t leave well enough alone.

That's a definite no to Gale’s proposal! I think bitterly.

How could I even consider it? Not to sound conceited, but he ruined my birthday! Not to mentioned brought on a war with the Pack to our front door. How could we ever keep the peace now?

My eyes focus on a shadow lurking between the nearby huts. My heart beats quicken and my adrenaline flows copiously. I realize who it is, and all the anxiousness, fear and rage I’ve been feeling for the last few hours zero in on my target.

Her face is oddly illuminated by the moonlight that lingers up above; she toes some debris over, before moving back to the middle of the path.

Before I can think of what I’m doing, my fingers pull an arrow from my quiver and nock it on the bow. I aim at Alma’s face— the snake who’s always whispered hatred into Gale’s ear— just as she looks up and our eyes collide.

Her eyes widened in fear; she’s paralyzed like a deer about to be shot down. I pull my bowstring tight, ready to let it fly, but my mother runs out of the hut yelling my father’s name frantically and bumps into me, making me stumble forward.

When I look up and gather myself, Alma has slipped away.

“Mother!” I hiss harshly, “what’s wrong?”

“Katniss… you have to save him. Please, get someone to help! Your father’s in danger!”

She’s not done talking, but I take off running blindly. I’m not even sure where I’m going, and I wish I had my mother’s super hearing, so at least I could tell which direction to go.

“This way!” My mother calls breathless from my left, towards the river, and I follow her lead as she crushes through brush and bushes as if they weren’t there at all.

I try to ignore the bile and fear strangling me, and keep abusing my legs and knees, forcing them to go faster, and faster, until we come to a stop at the foot of the hill where everything started.

Haymitch lays unconscious on the ground, and my father has been cornered with his hands raised defensively, trying to reason with a group of five enormous looking wolves all baring their sharp, deadly fangs at him.

“Fellows, I understand your anger and it’s completely justified, but please, let me speak to your Alpha, we may come to a truce—“

The biggest wolf steps forward with raised hackles, a bristled tail and a low growl that makes a shiver go down my spine. The wolf is ready to attack, so I jump between him and my father, my arrow ready to pierce his skull any second.

“Stay away from him! If you want somebody to kill, take me!” I yell at the beast like a lunatic.

Everything happens so fast, I barely have time to react: my father cries out my name and tries to shove me out of the way; the wolf hesitates for a fraction of a second— maybe I stunned him stepping between him and my father— but recuperates quickly and his blue, angry eyes squint at me, following the trajectory of my body as my father tries to get me to safety.

The wolf’s ears twitch and his stance lowers; in the blink of an eye he leaps forward, trapping me against a tree with his front paws on my shoulders.

I think I’m screaming. I’m not sure. All I know is that my vision is blurry, my throat is burning, my fingers lost contact with my bow, and hot, humid breath is wafting all over my face, while a low, menacing rumble fills my ears blocking away any other sound.

I grit my teeth, clench my eyes, and turn my face away, bracing for long sharp teeth to sink into my flesh and snuff the life out of me.

Instead, a slick, warm, leathery knob presses against my neck and inhales harshly. Coarse whiskers prickle my cheek and under my chin.

I risk opening one eye to see why this crazy wolf isn't ripping my throat wide open this second, but the big lupine is just sniffing me intently. I doubt he’s trying to be friendly though, he keeps grunting and hissing at me, actually breathing in my scent a little too aggressively.

His friends crowd closer to us curiously, their noses pointing at me. The wolf restraining me lashes out, swiping a paw at them, growling something fierce, like he’s telling them I’m his and he’s not sharing. The other wolves retreat but keep on circling around us.

I hear my father crying out my name. My mother does too, and the other wolves seem a little agitated, whimpering to their leader while keeping my parents at bay; they’re not really going after my parents, which is a relief, they’re just acting as wall separating me and the big fellow from them.

The idea comes to me, that maybe this big guy is Alpha Mellark; after all, father went out looking for him.

I try to swallow down the lump of fear choking me, and say shakenly, “Alpha Mellark, Sir? It’s me, Katniss.”

The wolf tenses, and growls into my face baring his canines at me.

I make the mistake of turning my face away in terror when I notice the big, scary, fangs are dripping blood and the fur on his snout is also covered in gore. I hope the mess belongs to some wild game and not somebody’s pet, like Prim’s beloved goat, Lady, for example.

Seeing the access I just opened up, the wolf digs his nose into my exposed neck, and does something unexpected, he takes a tentative swipe of his tongue across my skin. That seems to calm him down, so stay stock still and let him lick the mess out of me to his heart’s content. He exhales slowly through his nostrils and then nuzzles my shoulder with his soft forehead.

Encouraged by this gesture, I try again. “Sir,” my voice comes out tremulous, “I know something horrible was done to the Pack tonight, and I know that a debt has to be paid now. I volunteer as tribute. Take me, and spare my people. Please.”

I’m pretty sure the other wolves heard me, because they start dancing and yapping excitedly in the background. The Alpha lifts his head growling lowly, his lips pull all the way back so I can see not only his sharp teeth but also his pink gums.

I think to myself, this is it! He will shred me to pieces. I just hope he does leave my tribe alone after killing me.

An image of sweet Prim as a toddler comes to mind, how tiny and cute she was. Another of us just days ago at the hot springs, while she brushed and braided my hair. I think of the things I’ll miss, like nephews and nieces, and my parents growing old, Rue singing while she gathers crops with her five little siblings… if only I had the chance to grow old to see all of that at least once more.

The wolf puts his whole weight on one paw, almost crushing me to the ground; he howls standing on his hind legs and supporting his body on my shoulder, while his other leg curls in the air.

The rest of the pack stops what they’re doing— at least the ones around us do— and howl to the sky in response.

The sound is deep and piercing, deafening since I’m so close. Suddenly, all the pressure on my shoulder lifts up and I spill to the foot of the tree, falling on my rear, feeling every last acorn and twig I land on. The big wolf steps away from me, giving me one last stare, and then howls at his companions again, they do a lap around me and the tree, and take off running towards their own land beyond the river.

“Katniss!” Gasps my father gathering me into his arms. I start to weep and shake. “Are you hurt? I tried to get to you sooner, but one of them stepped on your bow and broke it in half—“

“We threw rocks and tried to go at them with clubs, but they just… ignored us. What did you tell him, the Prince?” Asks my mother looking me over, “Is this your blood?” She prods, moving the material of my jacket to the side around the neck area, where the wolf had been sniffing and licking me.

“It’s not- it’s not my blood.” I shudder. “It was on the wolf… wait. That wasn’t Alpha Mellark? I thought it was the Alpha. All the others… they seemed to follow his lead.” I say gasping for air.

“The Alpha was badly injured.” says Haymitch who’s come toward us unsteadily, holding his arm to his chest. “Ma’am, would you mind putting my arm in a sling when we get back home? I think something’s broken.” He tells my mother conversationally, as if he was just commenting on the weather.

Mother makes a face while checking my neck, and discovering there isn’t even a scratch there. I’m not sure what she’s thinking, but I have a hunch she’ll be bombarding me questions back at the hut. Turning to Haymitch, she asses his arm is dislocated, so she tears a strip of clothing from the bottom of her cotton dress and makes a sling for the man’s arm. Father helps me up, his arm wraps around me protectively and I sink into his familiar warmth, taking in his scent.

I’m trying not to think about losing him tonight, because then I’ll start crying again, and we simply don’t have the luxury to break down right now, not when we’re slowly shuffling back to the village, and we can see the tribesmen and women come out to receive us. The worry in their faces and then the relief of knowing that the chief and his family are all safe is almost heartbreaking.

“Thank the almighty Sun, his rays are rising,” whispers my father. “The wolves will turn back to men and women soon, and we can seek for a parley to salvage what we can.” He sounds so tired, but the people around us look at him with hope in their eyes, knowing he’ll do all he can to stop the madness of the last few hours. “Rest and see to your families. We won’t solve anything for a few hours. Pray to Father Sun our Pack brethren find it in their hearts to forgive the ill advised actions of a few, in order to spare the rest of us.”

With those words, he ducks inside Haymitch’s hut, next to ours. I doubt he’ll go to sleep, but he’ll have quiet and a chance to rest there, since our home is still being used to tend to the injured. It’s a relief to know everyone will recover fully in the next few weeks; it’s our livestock that worries me. Only a few animals have been recovered and the rest will have to be replaced, or we won’t have dairy or wool to prepare for winter.

“Catnip, where have you been? I’ve looked all over for you!” Breathes out Gale jogging towards me.

I turn around and go the opposite direction, but he catches up with me and spins me around by the elbow.

“What happened to you? Did they hurt you?” He demands alarmed as soon as he sees the blood on the collar of my shirt.

I shrug his hands off me and step away from him. “I’m fine. It’s not my blood.” I tell him dully.

“Well, thank Father Sun you’re safe then.” He mutters softly. “Hap-happy birthday.” He says quietly.

“Yeah. Very happy.” I finally turn away from him and this time he doesn’t stop me.

 

* * *

 

 

The Pack representatives march into our village unopposed at noon. The sun is beating down on us, and everyone is gathered in the center of camp in what would be considered our plaza, which is just the well and some short trees with minimum greenery.

My father, Haymitch, and an elderly man call Dalton, wait for the Alpha, who’s looking worse for wear, but not as hurt as I figured he’d be.

I vaguely remember hearing my mother say that their kind heals twice as fast, so, maybe that’s the case this time around.

Delly walks next to the Alpha, acting as his support. Then there’s the Prince, looking rather angry and lost, which makes my stomach uneasy. I don’t ever remember seeing him upset before; he’s always smiling when I’ve seen him.

Beta Odair and a handful of other people from the pack follow, but there’s no future Madam Alpha to be seen, which I find peculiar, because I figured this would be a diplomatic event she’d attend on her fiancé’s arm.

“My most esteemed ally.” starts my father.

“Am I still that, my friend?” rasps out the Alpha painfully.

I guess he’s not as well as I thought.

“Sad day it is today, certainly. Innocent blood was spilt last night, and today we mourn a big loss.” says the Alpha.

The Prince looks away from us, biting his lips down, fisting his hands until his knuckles turn white. His eyes fill with tears that won’t spill just yet.

I wonder who it is Gale and his buddies killed?

“It is a sad day indeed. And we offer our condolences and most sincere desire to bring justice to your people.” Says my father frowning.

“That’s good my friends, since my son, Crown Prince Peeta, is here looking for retribution.” Alpha Mellark says grimly. “Prince Peeta’s betrothed, was taken from him in last night’s unexpected conflict.”

There’s a collective intake of air around the villagers.

“Prince Peeta demands the debt brought on by Lady Glimmer’s shed blood, be paid in full, today.”

I take Prim’s arm and dig my blunt nails into her delicate skin.

Calmly, she pries off my fingers, one at a time, and then holds my hand, squeezing it. “They won’t kill Gale.” She whispers doubtfully. “Father will figure something out.”

I nod. Regardless of how angry I am at him right now, Gale’s still one of my oldest friends and the closest thing I’ve ever had to a big brother. I don’t want him to be executed any more than I want a war. But, he did attack the Pack treacherously and killed someone… the Prince’s future wife no less! My father has his work cut out for him negotiating peace with the Wolves this time.

“What does the Prince suggest is owed to him to keep the peace?” Asks my father cautiously.

The Alpha opens his mouth and closes it again. His brow knits together on his forehead, and his eyes flit towards my mother first, then to me, and then the prince himself takes a step forward, raises a finger towards me, and mother gasps aloud, a soul crushing “No!”

“Chief’s daughter, Katniss.” Says Prince Peeta in a sour tone.

“My daughter?” Demands my father, while the crowd murmurs and gasps.

It’s Prim’s turn to dig her nails into my arm, except she’s trying in vain to hide me behind her slight frame. “Not my sister! That’s not an even trade!” Prim screams flailing in front of me, shielding me from the wolves.

I’m numb. I didn’t think he’d spare me last night, just to make my execution public today… _on my birthday_!

“There has to be another way,” Father begs, “There must be—“

“I need a wife!” Calls the Prince loudly, “I was robbed one, so I’m taking a new one. The best fitting one. Katniss Everdeen,” he points at me again, “she’s the price to be paid. A bride for a bride.”

“You can’t take her for a wife! She’s a human woman, our kinds don’t mix!” Argues Gale coming to stand next to Prim.

Peeta moves so fast it’s scary. In a second he’s grabbed Gale by the collar and has him pressed to the side of the well.

“In case you haven’t noticed, son of the Sun, Katniss is half my kind. Our races mix just fine. Unlike what that aunt of yours tells herself, children are born to human and wolf parents. I suggest you start thinking, before you open your mouth.”

“What are you talking about?” Gale asks as puzzle as I feel, not even bothering to fight Peeta off.

My mother tries to argue. “But my daughter, she’s your kin—“

“She should be of marrying age by now. Yes?” Says Alpha Mellark almost with regret. “A marriage is all my son seeks. No more blood spilled. No revenge and no war. Just marriage. If you agree with our terms, we will give you a week to prepare the exchange, and this incident will never be spoken of ever again.”

My father looks at me, his gray eyes red rimmed and full of conflicting emotions. “Katkin,” he finally addresses me, “As of today, you are of age. I cannot make this decision for you. As your Chief, I must ask you to consider the wellbeing of your tribesmen and women. As your father, I will support whatever you choose to do, to the bitter end.”

“Even if it means war?” I ask in a scratchy voice ignoring Gale’s rantings even restrained by the Prince.

“Even so, Katkin.”

I shift my eyes to the Prince. My stomach does a flip when his dilated pupils meet my eyes. He looks so crazed and in pain, so wild. My dreams of lustfull werewolves emerged unbidden from my subconscious, and I feel a heaviness in my core, a foreboding excitement, and a curious pull to this man. I have to shake my head from the inappropriate thoughts and feelings. He’s grieving and he’s a werewolf. I would never lay with an animal in my right mind, that’s disgusting!

But then I look at my people, faces haggard from the long vigil last night, fearful eyes, and determination to fight for me if necessary.

I won’t have their blood on my hands or in my conscious.

There’s only one answer to give. “I’ll marry the Prince in a weeks time if that will save our people.”

“No!” Gale screams, finally throwing off Peeta’s hold and rushing to me. “You can’t do that! You’re supposed to marry _me_!”

It’s the last straw. My anger comes out in scalding hot tears to equal the fire and brimstone I unleash on Gale.

“This is all your fault, Gale Hawthorne! You allowed that harpy, Alma, fill your mind and heart with so much hatred, you couldn’t see beyond your own righteousness. Even if I’d wanted to marry you, which I’ve never agreed to, now I have to think of our whole community. Not just the tribe, but the Pack as well! You burned down their food supply and now you killed someone. If all they require from us to forgive this affront is my hand in marriage, then they can have it. I already volunteered to save the tribe anyway.

“Now stop this nonsense and learn from your mistakes. Never let Alma influence your thoughts, or your chiefdom will be the shortest one in history, and it’ll be in constant conflict. Think of your family for once. Your mother and siblings are so precious and valuable, don’t let them be destroyed because of pride, or resentment, or greed. Ask yourself, what’s in it for your aunt? Maybe you won’t like the answers so much. Now, excuse me. I have a marriage to prepare for.”

“Katniss…” Peeta’s broken voice calls, but I ignore him too, fed up with guys and their testosterone competitions.

I push my way away from the crowd. I don’t want to stick around and hear anything else. All I know is that I have to leave before I do something really stupid, like cry in front of the Prince.

 

* * *

 

 

_I’m running in the woods, only the stars shine down on the path. It’s not enough light to see where I’m going, so I try extra hard not to trip on roots or dislodged rocks._

_I can hear the wolf howling before I see him. I recognize this one, it’s big and fast, and his eyes are dilated and wide; I can’t see the white in them. His coat is silvery and shiny under the night sky, and I wonder were the moon could be. I think it’s the wolf himself emitting light, but I can’t be sure._

_The wolf overtakes me after a moment running. He tackles me to the ground and licks my neck and nuzzles my jaw. He licks my lips while the claws of his humanoid hands rip my clothes to shreds._

_“Peeta… not like this.” I sigh digging my fingers into his soft fur._

_“How then?” He asks in that deep, velvety voice of his, and when I look at him, he’s a man again._

_“Not like this…”_

_Something is about to give when sobbing drags me back to wakefulness, all sweaty and bothered._

“Not like this!” Whispers my mother in the family room separated from our sleeping quarters by pelts and skins. “I knew this was going to happen! The Prince’s eyes have always strayed to her. I thought it was done with the moment my cousin announced that marriage contract with that Glimmer girl. I should have known he’d find a way to get my daughter at the end.”

“If you’re right, and Sweetheart caught the Boy’s eye before now, maybe it was meant to be. It’s not like the Prince could’ve planned something so callous, getting rid of the fiancée so violently, to go after Sweetheart.” Says Haymitch, which surprises me. “It was all Alma’s schemes,”

“Now, now, we do not know that this was her doing for sure. But what does the Chief say about this mess?” Responds Effie stiffly.

“I think it’s all too confusing and emotional a burden for a seventeen year old to bear. On the other hand, the Prince is only nineteen himself, he could have become alpha last night and that may had scared him, added to the grief of losing his future mate. He’s not thinking straight, and has given himself only one week to come to his senses. I could try talking to the Alpha again. He may be on our side on this.”

“I don’t know. Things are so unstable at the moment, like standing on thin ice, one wrong move, and we all fall to our doom.”

“We can’t think that way…”

Prim leans up on her bedroll, our eyes meet, then with the grace of a cat, she scoots from her bed to mine, and hugs me to her. “It’ll be fine; I know it will.” She whispers into my hair.

The hushed voices outside quiet down abruptly, and I know my mother is aware we’re eavesdropping. She always knows when we do if we don’t stay perfectly still.

That doesn’t deter Prim.

“You’re the strongest person I know, if the Wolves want you, it’s because they know you’re better than them.”

“Who’s supposed to be the big sister here?” I ask with slow tears trailing down my face. “How did you get so smart little Duck?”

“Living with you. Something had to rub on.” We smile at each other sadly.

“I’m going to miss you.”

“I’ll miss you too!”

We huddle together under my covers the rest of the week, enjoying each other’s love as much as we can.

 


	4. Pack Territory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I added a small scene I meant to write on my first post, but I just could t work it in before the deadline, so I’m including it here. It’s not huge and really changes nothing, but it was part of my original fic idea, I just couldn’t write it then. 
> 
> Hope everyone is still enjoying it!

The week goes by fast. I put all my affairs in order, and yet, it doesn’t feel like enough time to say goodbye to a life I took for granted.

My father builds me a new bow with his own hands, and his work is exquisite as always; just, this time, he’s outdone himself by carving delicate katniss blooms all over the bow’s limbs and grip, and then he puts a black polish on it, making the designs pop. The body of the bow favors a Mockingjay in flight, with its wings spread wide.

I’m not sure how he makes it so fast, but I’m glad he’s given me back part of my identity with such a amazing gift.

My mother fits me into all her old calico print dresses from her years growing up with the pack, and cries when I choose to wear a pretty blue number that buttons up on the front, instead of my deerskin trousers and old leather jacket that used to belong to my father in his youth, for meeting up my betrothed.

I still pack my tomboy clothes in my game bag before shouldering my new bow and my old quiver. Father didn’t have time to make me a matching quiver, but I tell him it’s for the best, now I have an excuse to see him when he does make it. With that idea in mind, my father smiles for the first time since all this nightmare started and kisses my forehead lovingly.

“I like how you think, Katkin.” He caresses my cheek with his thumb and sighs. “It’s time. Your groom should be waiting by the river by now.”

I nod. I know if I try to talk, all to come out will be ugly crying and I can’t allow that right now.

So we march with half the tribe to the river, where indeed a large group from the pack is congregated waiting for me.

Prince Peeta is crouching on our side of the bank, doodling something on the wet sand with his fingers.

Beta Odair is next to him and gives the a kick on the prince’s boot to alert him of our presence.

Peeta looks up his face turning a dark shade of pink; he stands straight, dusting  his hands on his pants, then pats down his hair nervously. His eyes keep shifting between the ground and the people around him, and finally he swipes his foot over whatever doodles he’d made on the ground. He keeps fiddling his fingers, until Odair leans in and says something into his ear, after that, Peeta brings his hands behind his back and tries to smile at me, but his eyes and mouth don’t seem to be able to stay put in just one position.

“I think he’s nervous, the poor dear.” Says Prim giggling.

“I’m glad you find this amusing!” I hiss at her under my breath.

“You’d find it amusing too if you were as convinced as I am that he’s had a crush on you all along.” She says with an edge of aggravation.

“He did not! His fiancée got killed!” I say crossly, “This is just a transaction that needed to be made in order to save everyone.”

Prim shakes her head. “I know.” Her voice is small. “But I heard what mother said about him always staring at you, and that is a fact.” Prim gives me a pointed look.

“Well… just because one looks at a person, doesn’t mean they’re attracted to them. Maybe he thought I was some kind of odd duckling.”

“Mmm. Maybe he knew you were a swan chick instead of a duckling.” 

“Shush!” Goes my mother and just in time to meet the Prince and Odair.

The Prince seems to be having a hard time speaking. He keeps opening and closing his mouth, no sound coming out. His eyes are wide, blessedly not crazed and pained as they were last week. Today his eyes are nervous and, dare I say, excited?

Beta Odair clears his throat, “Chief Everdeen, and his most beautiful ladies.” Odair bows in greeting, then gives Peeta a small push making him stumble closer to us.

Peeta’s eyes fix on my father though, and I don’t know if what I’m feeling right now is disappointment or relief.

“Sir, I… I owe you an apology for my behavior last week. I promise I would never put lady Katniss under such stress again… ever... if she still agrees to grant me the honor of calling her my wife…” he hesitates and finally looks at me. “Please?”

His eyes are so sad and pleading, and that uncomfortable thing is back twisting my stomach, only this time it feels like a band of birds are swooping up and down in there.

“I gave you my word I would marry you, unless you’re prepared to give my people a full pardon without the deal?” I pose to him.

His lips twitch, and then form a thin line. “I will do whatever you ask of me, my lady. Full pardons, all of our game until your people can replace their cattle, I’ll even move my Pack away from here, if that’s what you prefer. I’m at your command.”

He’s so serious and solemn, I have no choice but to believe him. I don’t dare look at my parents, least of all Primrose, because her voice is still ringing in my ears from earlier, “... _he’s had a crush on you all along… and that is a fact._ ”

I swallow thickly. “The marriage stands if you promise to keep peace between our peoples.” I say staring right into his eyes, that have noticeably softened.

His broad shoulders relax at my words, his facial expression becomes less nervous. I think he was afraid I’d change my mind, which makes me wonder if he’s  changed his. But then why act so tense and anxious?

“If we are all in agreement, then it is time.” Says my father clearing his voice a couple of times.

“Thank you!” Prince Peeta says shaking my father’s hand. “I promise, your daughter will be treated with all the respect and love our alpha ladies before her have had. She will be free to see you anytime she wants, and with Father Sun and Mother Moon as our witnesses, this union will strengthen the bonds between Seams and Wolves. There will be no wars between us as long as we can live in harmony.”

“May this be a new era of peace and prosperity for all. Go with my blessing, and produce many children.” My father puts my hand into Prince Peeta’s; I wish I could’ve wiped my palm before touching his, because I’m suddenly perspiring and my face burns at the thought of babies, and how they’re made.

The fact that my father knows what will happen between me and the prince to bring forth the children he so casually tossed in his blessing, has me mortified.

Prince Peeta says a few words of gratitude to my father; I can barely hear over the rush of blood swishing in my ears. Then, the Prince scoops me up in his arms, startling me, and we cross the river with my father’s blessing.

I’m a wolf bride now.

I take a look over Peeta’s shoulder and see my parents and Prim holding on to one another tightly. Gale is crying quietly while his mother rubs his back and his brothers mind Posy. Alma is nowhere to be seen which is just fine by me. My people are safe; it’s all that matters.

My arms sit uselessly on my lap, until we come to a point in the river where the water is deep and the currents are strong.

“Could I ask you to hold on to my shoulders while we wade through this part?” Asks the prince softly.

My cheeks heat up, and I look at Beta Odair out of the corner of my eye, but the man is stoically looking away from us.

“I can swim across if I need to, you know.” I tell him quietly. “Or we could borrow a canoe from my father.”

Peeta chuckles. “That wouldn’t be very gentlemanly from your groom, would it now?” He eyes me for a moment before concentrating back on the currents. “No. Carrying you ashore is the way of my people, and the least I could do after uprooting you from your home.” He says sadly. “If our marriage had been the result of a proper courtship, things would’ve been different and I could’ve asked your family to celebrate the nuptials at your village, and then use one of your boats to ferry you back to my camp... I’m sorry things didn’t work out that way. But because I’m, by all intents, _stealing_ you from home, I have to facilitate my own means, and it’s been long established that Wolves won’t make boats or canoes to cross the river as an act of respect for Seam boarders.” 

I sigh, but circle my arms around his thick neck all the same. My heart starts beating faster. I’ve never touched another person so… intimately before. Maybe Prim, but she’s my sister.

“Is this alright?” I mumble awkwardly.

“Perfect!” He responds brightly. “By the way. Thank you for not changing your mind about… all this.”

“Mmm… and you? Have you changed your mind?” I ask and pull back trying to catch his eye.

He shakes his head. “I do have to apologize for the way things went though. I was… angry. But that’s no excuse for my actions. I attacked you while in my wolf form, and then I marched into your town and demanded your hand in marriage like a petulant brat. I’ve been plagued with remorse ever since.” He licks his lips, “I’m sorry for scaring you, and I assure you, if you were to decide you rather cancel this whole thing... I would respect your wishes.”

“You didn’t scare me.” I say quickly. Now that he’s given me the choice, I can’t stomach going back on my word, which is confusing and unnerving me. “You were like a… large, snuggly puppy, acting up.”

Peeta gives me a look arching his eyebrow, “Ma’am, you and I seem to have very different recollections of the events. Plus, calling a grown wolf a puppy is a bit _demeaning_.”

I scowl at him, “Whatever happened with ‘ _you’ll be at my command and do anything I say’_?”

“Well, well. It seems little Miss Katniss is full of sass!” Says Odair with a smirk, still looking away from us. “I guess our Alpha was right. This one has the spirit of the Mockingjay!”

My eyes return to Peeta who’s smiling smugly. “I seem to recall saying that myself.”

“I don’t understand. The spirit of the Mockingjay?” I ask lowly.

“Oh! it’s a legend passed down from father to son in our clan. I’m sure the Prince will tell you all about it once the festivities subside.” Odair winks and Peeta blushes, trying to hide a smile.

For reasons I can’t understand, I feel myself blush as well.

The water levels decrease from Peeta’s chest down to his waist and in no time we are back on shallow, rocky terrain.

I gave Finnick Odair my bow back on my tribe’s shore, and he held it above his head while crossing the river. He hands it back to me, dry and safe, so I reward him with a smile and my thanks.

Delly is waiting for us with a big crowd of their people. She hugs me when Peeta sets me on my feet and the rest of the pack bows to us as we walk through.

Growing up the daughter of the Chief, I never got treated any differently than other girls my age from lower rank families, so this reception is completely alien and new to me. I watch Delly and the others and follow their cues, bowing back and waving at the people around us.

A little girl runs up to me with a bouquet of wild onion flowers and the image hits me like a one ton buffalo running full speed at my gut. I think of a younger Gale during happier, carefree times before his mind and heart got so corrupted with envy and anger. It’s the first plant he learned to gather for eating all on his own, he told me all about it proudly. I mourn my friendship with that bright eyed boy, knowing it is gone forever now.

I take the flowers from the girl and thank her. She gives us a toothy smile and rushes away to her mother, giggling and whispering something like “the Princess is so pretty,” which again, makes me feel strange, because technically, I am a princess in my tribe, but have never heard anyone refer to me that way, so hearing a little girl call me a princess here, just makes the situation more bizarre.

I start fiddling nervously with the end of my braid, but then a little boy points at me and declares he’s going to marry “a princess with hair as dark as a Mockingjay’s feathers.” My eyes widened and I let go of my braid like it’s burning my fingers.

“You know, I actually said those exact same words once as a little boy.” Says Peeta in a conspiratorial tone, before playfully bumping my shoulder with his.

I blink at him. The day can’t get any more weird. “Is that the standard rebellious fantasy for little Wolves?”

I inhale deeply, closing my eyes to pretend I didn’t just blurt out those words. But Peeta starts laughing, so I look at him again puzzled by his reaction.

He shrugs, and nods to some people that come forth to greet us. He takes a shaky breath, and then lowers his head closer to mine so he can talk without being overheard.

“When I was fourteen, I told my father I was ready to offer my marriage proposal to the girl of my dreams. I got turned down. It all worked out in the end; I got blessed with a beautiful, witty soon to be wife. I’m sure that young fellow will be alright if he doesn’t get to marry his Mockingjay haired princess.”

Peeta’s lopsided smile makes looking at him in the face so hard. Why did he have to say that to me today, of all days?

“You must have loved Glimmer so much. I’m so sorry for your loss.” I regret the words immediately, because his whole body tenses and his expression darkness, then he forces a smile.

“Glimmer,” He says, “Although I did love her, was not my first choice for a bride.”

I shut my big mouth for the duration of the walk, just to avoid shoving both my feet in it again.

We come to an actual town with cabins made of logs, mud, and straw. The windows are made of thin glass and the doors are solid wood. The paths are compressed dirt, just like back home, but they have more grass around their houses than we do around our huts.

We come to the biggest cabin in the settlement, it looks to be two stories high, with two chimneys sticking out of the roof on each side of the building. There’s a pleasant smell of yeast and sugar wafting from the place as well, and I inhale the aromas greedily.

“Welcome to the Alpha’s home!” Says Delly grabbing my hand and dragging me with her to the door. “You’ll be lodging here until the wedding, tomorrow. Your belongings will be stored at the Prince’s new house next door, and I’ll be chaperoning you until you’re officially married!” Delly claps excitedly.

“I didn’t know the wedding was tomorrow.” I say confusedly.

“Oh yes! Your family and a few members of your tribe will attend. It’ll be grand! I think it’s the first time your people will visit town since your folks married twenty years ago! So exciting!”

I’m trying to hide how uncomfortable I am, because I don’t want to offend anyone, especially not someone as nice and bubbly as Delly, but I’m the opposite of excited at the prospect of a grand wedding, and I hope it doesn't show on my face.

“Well, my lady. I’ll leave you in very competent hands. My father will be eager to see you. And I’ll come by for supper. According to my clan’s traditions our interactions should be kept to the minimum until after the wedding.” Says Peeta with some reluctance in his eyes.

“Oh, of course.” Effie mentioned something about this in her unending ravings about Wolf weddings and traditions, but I tuned her out every single time she started blabbing about it. Now I wish I had been paying attention, I would be familiar with Pack culture right now.

In my tribe, we have different rules. A couple comes of age, they negotiate a marriage contract that could mutually benefit their families. Then they have a toasting ceremony, where the couple takes turns toasting bread in their new hut’s hearth, and then feed it to each other and that’s enough ceremony to consider them legally married. Brides and grooms can see one another any time they want leading to their toasting, why some couples don’t toast until the woman is with child, but that happens so seldom is almost out of style.

We go inside the house, and it surprises me to see that the first floor is almost all a gigantic kitchen, with a long counter closer to what my mother would call a ‘parlor’, and many tables on the other side of the counter with an assortment of baking tools. Two stone ovens stand at the far end wall, radiating heat to the rest of the place. Now that I’m inside the building, the aromas I smelled out in the street make my mouth water. My stomach decides to groan loudly, hoping for a piece of fresh bread.

“We only baked two loaves today,” Says Delly glancing at me knowingly.

I wonder if I said the words aloud, or if I’ve been staring a the ovens with too much interest that gave me away.

“The Mellarks have always been the Pack’s bakers, even before overthrowing the Snows and taking over as our leaders. They still bake for the most part, but since now we have to ration our wheat, they haven’t been producing as much.”

I scowl at that. I didn’t think of the many ways the Pack was affected on their everyday lives after their wheat fields set aflame. I feel indignation on the Mellarks behalf.

“Katniss! My dear girl, welcome to my house!” Says Alpha Mellark in a booming voice coming from upstairs. “I’m sorry I didn’t come to the river to welcome you properly, but my leg hasn’t healed all the way yet, and I rather be able to come to your wedding tomorrow, than aggravating the wounds today.”

Delly rushes up to the Alpha to help him down the stairs.

“I- I understand. Thank you for taking me in.” I say gratefully and a little shyly, but the man just walks up to me and gives me a bear hug that nearly lifts me off the floor.

“Delly, take the future princess to her room and see that she’s comfortable. I’ll be in the backyard if you ladies like to join me for lemonade after you’ve rested and change out of those damp clothes.”

I look down at my blue calico dress, the one that belonged to my mother in her youth, and realize just how wet and heavy it really feels on my body. I follow Delly willingly to my temporary chambers and then I’m ready to see the rest of the house.

The place is tidy and simple. There aren’t any luxuries we lack back home, except maybe for the indoor privy, but other than that, everything looks very similar.

Delly is nice and good for a laugh. We get along great, and she keeps talking my ears off about how great the Prince is and how happy she is there’s another woman in the household now.

It occurs to me that I have no idea what will become of Delly now that I’m the next woman in line to the ‘throne’.

“So, will you still be acting Madam Alpha after I marry the Prince officially?” I ask her.

Delly twists her pink lips to the side for a moment and shrugs. “I’m not sure, but it will be a relief if I’m demoted, really. Not that it is a bad position, and I still will have to look after uncle, now more than ever since he’s hurt. But I won’t have to adhere so closely to protocol, and people will stop treating me like I’m made of glass.”

“No. They’ll shift that onto me.” I groan before I can stop myself.

Delly giggles. “Of course not, silly. The reason I get treated like I’m some fragile vase, is because nobody thinks I’m capable of much, while everyone, even in the Pack, knows how strong and daring you are. Why, you’re a hunter, and I’m not, even in wolf form.” She pouts, before smiling at me. “It’s one of the things the Prince has always admired about you. He used to brag about how you could shoot squirrels through the eye every single time!”

Well, that’s as humbling as it is surprising. I wonder how did the prince even know about my shooting skills?

Delly sighs dramatically, “I can’t even tell you how distraught Peeta was when he heard your bow got damaged during that awful night. But I see you have a new one, and very pretty at that.” She glances at my bow leaning against the wall next to the old quiver.

I smile. “My father made it for me as a birthday present.”

“Oh that’s right! Your seventeenth birthday got ruined.” Her tone turns sour. “It’s a shame such and important day got tainted in that horrible way. For years, Peeta has talked about baking you a cake for your seventeenth birthday.”

“Why would the prince want to bake me a cake for my birthday?” I ask puzzled, “We just met two weeks ago.”

Delly looks at me for a moment, and then smiles sweetly, almost sadly. “The prince has admired you from afar since he was a little boy. It’s not my story to tell, but I know he begged the Alpha to request you for his bride once before. The birthday cake was a dream of his I guess; he thought he could impress you with his frosting skills. I'm not sure if he would have still tried to bake for you, since he was engaged to Glimmer, but he sure has worked hard on your wedding cake, now that you’re his bride.”

“That’s… not possible.” I say blushing furiously. “It can’t be. The prince would have to have liked me for years…”

“He has.” Says Delly soothingly. “Your mother was aware… lets say she wasn’t particularly fond of the idea, and let the Alpha know. So other arrangements had to be made.”

This is unexpected news!

“The Prince wanted to marry _me_? And mother declined? But… Glimmer. He looked so… content.”

“Well, of course he was content, him and Glimmer became good friends and even got infatuated with each other. But being content is not the same as being in love, and while the Prince and Lady Glimmer were sweet on each other...” Delly stays quiet for a bit, “He was going to demand the execution of your tribesman, Hawthorne, you know.

“Hawthorne’s arrow pierced the Alpha’s hind leg and nearly took his life. It’s still not clear who was responsible for Lady Glimmer’s demise, but she took a spear for a former lover of hers before she was engaged to Peeta, some lower tier wolf named Marvel. The prince was in a very dark place when your father found his patrol while seeking the Alpha.

“Peeta’s ashamed to admit that only the encounter with you, when you came between him and the Chief, calmed him enough to see that spilling more blood would not bring him any sort of relief. But he was still enraged and hurt to let it go. He wanted revenge, until the Alpha told him to think about it carefully, and decide what was fair. So Peeta demanded a bride instead of Hawthorne’s life. He said at the time, it was perfectly logical and a fair trade: a bride for a bride. He’s regretted the way he acted ever since. He realizes now that while taking away Gale Hawthorne’s future bride didn’t hurt him as much as it did you and your family.”

”I was never betrothed to Gale.” I grit between my teeth, folding my arms over my chest. 

Delly shakes her head sadly. “Gale Hawthorne has been boasting about a your imminent nuptials to him for months. Word reached the Pack a while back that he was planning on officially asking for your hand in marriage on your seventeenth birthday, everyone, including Prince Peeta thought it was a matter of time before you were wedded to the future Chief. We certainly all thought it was a union your mother approved of. We only learned our assumptions were wrong the moment you bursted out in anger after agreeing to marry Peeta.”

“Well, the Prince could’ve come and retracted his deal any time!” I snap.

“Then we would’ve been back on war’s doorstep.” Laments Delly looking about a hundred years older than she truly is. “It wasn’t an option until he had a chance to see you again, and coming to your territory was forbidden by your father and the tribe’s elders once we left.”

The last part is news to me, but I can see how everyone would want to close up our borders after such a bloody night.

I breathe in harshly. “All the same. He could have said something. Send word somehow.”

“You can still refuse to marry him.” She offers.

I balk at the idea. For reasons I can’t put into words, the notion on dissolving my engagement to Prince Peeta is just unthinkable.

I shake my head stubbornly. “Breaking the agreement is not an option either at this point.” 

Delly curtsies, “Then, it shall be done just as my future lady Alpha wishes.” 

 

* * *

 

I don’t sleep a wink all night, so my aunt Effie tries to hide the purple bags under my eyes with every berry dye she can find matching my skin tone, while lecturing me about the importance of a good night’s rest, as if I’m not aware I look like death warmed over.

Supper the evening before was quiet and just a bit awkward. Conversation didn’t come very easy to me after the talk with Delly, but I’ve never been the conversational type anyway. Peeta kept staring at me all night in what I think he believed were inconspicuous glances, but his eyes were never fast flitting away, so he caught looking a lot.

He kissed the top of my hand awkwardly before leaving for the night, making the flock of birds in my stomach go berserk. There was barely room enough for so many wings flapping around in my belly, and then the beds were _too_ soft.

Back home we sleep on 2 inch deep bedrolls on pelts over hardened floor. It’s firm and at times uncomfortable, but it’s what I’m used to.

Here, everything was stuffed with down, hot, too soft, tickling, down feathers.

I never thought I’d complain about my pillows and mattress being too soft, but here I am, bemoaning comfort.

Prim is in awe at all the houses and green areas between. She’s already planning on starting a garden back home, somewhere around the well or something. She did give me good news about Lady— her nanny goat— turning up yesterday afternoon with a billy goat in tow.

One less thing to worry about.

“Come, come, Katniss. Today is a big, big, big day for all of us, and time is running out. We still need to fix your hair—“

“I say. Her hair could’ve use some moisturizer days ago.” Says a voice I wish to never hear again for the rest of my life.

“Oh for the love of Father Sun! Who let you in, Alma? Please, go back to the guests section. This is only for immediate family!”

I’ve never heard Effie sound so crossed… and impolite. I’m in awe!

Alma looks absolutely murderous, but she knows Effie is right. “I just came to wish the  _Princess_ , a happy wedding day. Nothing else.”

“Thank you, ma’am. Now, please, if you don’t mind, Aunt Effie is right, this place is for my immediate family only.” Our eyes meet for a moment, and I can feel the venom in her gaze.

She hates me, and if she had any power at all, I’m sure she’d use it to start her own war against me. I just hope Gale learned his lesson, because I won’t hesitate in shooting the old hag next time I have her in my crosshairs.

“The gall!” Effie snorts, but soon she’s too invested in brushing my hair to perfection, that mother and Prim have to pry her off my poor scalp when is time to join my groom in front of his people outside.

If Peeta looked nervous yesterday when he came to collect me, today he’s the picture of confidence. He smiles politely at the guests, and waves greetings to everyone. He has an animated conversation with Haymitch and Dalton, and keeps tipping a bottle of white liquor into Haymitch’s cup. Must be the reason the old man is looking so glad.

My mother takes me aside and gives me the most uncomfortable talk ever, about my duties as a new wife. I beg her to stop, or I’ll never be able to look at my groom in the face the rest of my life.

Then, my father takes my hand and mutely walks me towards the prince. His hand squeezes mine tightly, more and more the closer we come to Peeta. Once he offers my hand to my soon to be husband, it takes an awkward second for him to fully let go.

“Sir, I swear I’ll take care of her with my life. I give you my word. So help me Father Sun, she will be the happiest, most beloved woman in my domain.”

“I’ll hold you to that vow, son.” Rasps my father, giving me one last squeeze. “I love you, Katniss. It’s an honor, having you as my daughter.”

“Oh, Father.” I choke back a sob, “the honor is mine!” I hug him and kiss his cheek, and then I let Peeta pull me away to face Alpha Mellark.

The ceremony is short and simple. The Alpha speaks of our bonds and our alliance. He speaks of honor and love, and then gives us a blessing on behalf of Father Sun and Mother Moon. Peeta kisses my forehead and a feast sprouts seemingly out of nowhere.

There’s so much food and drink, I have to ask, “Shouldn’t we save all this for the winter months?” I whisper into Peeta’s ear.

He smiles at me. “Don’t worry, my lady. This is a joint effort, and both our peoples contributed equally to it. If something is leftover, we will divide it and give back to the people to take home and feast later on.”

“Alright, if you say so.”

Peeta takes my hand, and looks into my eyes. “I assure you, everything is accounted for, and nothing will go to waste.”

I nod.

“Katniss,” He says after a moment of silence, “I know it is customary in your village to toast bread with your spouse, to signify a true union. Will that be something you’d like to do with me at some point?” His eyes keep falling away shyly, just to fly back to scan my face. He takes a shivering breath, “I... baked a loaf yesterday, in case...” he shakes his head and gives me a sad smile. “You know what? We can give the loaf to your fam—“

”I’ll toast with you,” I say breathlessly for no other reason than a toasting will make this marriage more real for me. “We can do it now if you catch Haymitch’s attention and he’ll guide us through it.” 

As it turns out, Haymitch is as drunk as a skunk; passed out at one table with a spread of sweets in front of him he didn’t get to taste before succumbing to his alcohol induced stupor. I rake my mind for another person that would be worthy of this specific task, and then to my utter disbelief, Gale steps up. 

“Catnip, I couldn’t help but to hear you raging about Abernathy being asleep and you needing someone to help you perform a toasting. I’ve only done two so far, and I had help from Abernathy, but I can help you gather everyone and explain what you two are about to do, if you deem me qualified?”

I give Peeta an apprehensive glance, but he just shrugs, “If the future Chief is to start making amends, why not let him start here?”

Reluctantly, I agree to Gale gathering the people for the toasting ceremony, but I decided that given the circumstances, maybe Dalton, who’s a respected and well liked elder of the tribe, will be more appropriate as the one delivering the short speech to the Pack, explaining what we are about to do and why we are doing it. Then as Prince Peeta skewers a chunk of bread on a stick and starts roasting it on a small fire he built in the middle of the green by the town square; Primrose, Effie and Posy start singing the toasting song, and soon the rest of my people is joining in.

All in all is nice to share part of my heritage and culture with the Pack, and I’m glad Peeta thought of it as we feed each other golden-brown pieces of a deliciously hearty raisin and nut bread apparently he baked himself. 

Once we are done eating our toast, and my people start congratulating us again, musicians start playing fiddles, pan-flutes and a couple of drums. The food seems to have multiplied and the booze is flowing freely as well. 

Peeta whispers leaning his head closer to mine, “Could I ask you to dance with me?”

The question takes me by surprise, because I’m his wife now; he can take me dancing whenever he wants, but it’s the shyness in his voice and the way his eyes blink at me while his hand reaches behind his neck boyishly, I find it endearing.

“It’s our wedding. I think it would be a complete travesty if we didn’t dance.” I tell him smirking.

He chuckles in response.

I’m getting addicted to the sound of his laugh to be honest, so when he offers me his elbow, I take it without hesitation and follow him to the middle of the square where our wedding took place; we spin, hop, and twirl to the effervescent rhythm of the music, moving around each other with such ease, it feels as if we’ve been dancing together for ages.

Peeta is not a bad dancer, and while I’m only used to partner with Prim, we do pretty well for our first time on the dance floor.

The night sneaks up on us dancing. Once we started, we didn’t stop. I had so much fun with the Prince, I forgot why we were here to begin with, so it was a bit of a let down and an eye opener, when my father approached me and wished me a good night.

Father assured me they would set up tents by the river to sleep tonight and cross the waters in the morning, so I could come see them out. It was little consolation, but it does take my worry away, knowing they won’t be risking the river at night, when visibility is limited plus most everyone seems to be in various degrees of tipsiness. Anything could happen in the water when the sense are impaired.

I stand staring at my family and tribe-folk walk towards the river, and Peeta joins me with a coat he drapes over my shoulders. I’m grateful when I realize it’s my father’s old hunting jacket, the one I hid at the bottom of my game bag, which tells me he found my deerskin trousers and my moccasin boots as well, yet he doesn’t seem to mind either, or at the very least, he doesn’t mention them.

“We will see them in the morning,” He says quietly. “But you must be exhausted. Let me take you home.” He proposes hopefully.

“Okay.” I give him my hand to hold, and it seems it was the right response, because he’s beaming brighter than the moon above us.

We say our good nights to the Alpha, and go on to our new place, the cabin next to the big house where the Alpha lives with Delly.

Delly approaches me, “I took the liberty of unpacking your things with your mother’s help,” She whispers while hugging me. “Your mother left you a little gift in the washroom.” The girl giggles. “Good luck!”

Odair says something to Peeta, clapping him on the back with such force, the Prince stumbles under the weight of the Beta’s hands; he’s blushing furiously, and then Odair turns his mischievous sea green eyes to mine and winks at me.

A woman with long dark hair and a very pretty face smacks the Beta on the chest and frowns at him disapprovingly. Odair laughs and kisses the woman on the lips, and that’s when I notice the protruding bump the woman sports around the belly.

I can only assume I’m looking at Madam Beta and her unborn child.

Who would’ve thought Finnick Odair was happily married and with a pup on the way?!

But the thought gives me pause.

Peeta is my husband now, and he’s leading me to our new house, where there’s no doubt a too-soft-feather _-_ bed is waiting for us.

I curse my mother’s timing with her talk about wifely duties! Now I’m all shaken and wondering if those strange dreams I used to have about the well endowed humanoid Wolf will come true, now that I’m married to a werewolf?

Would the prince of the wolves want to have intercourse during the full moon with his bride, while he’s not human?

By the time we come to our front door, I can hardly breathe. I can barely keep myself from toppling over and faint.

I think to myself, will the odds ever be in my favor? Because they haven’t been very dependable of late.


	5. Wedding Night Jitters

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the fifth and last chapter of this fic. The next one will be an epilogue set a few years in the future, although the end of this chapter gave closure to everyone in my opinion. But I can’t deny the public my toastbabies, so... yeah! 
> 
> The ending of this chapter has been heavily edited and even altered at points. I fleshed out a couple of things I couldn’t on the Tumblr original due to time restraints. 
> 
> That said, go forth and read. 
> 
> **Warning:** this chapter contains smut. A big chunk of it is pure, blissful first time!Everlark smut.

“Here we are. Home!” Says Peeta turning to me with this wide smile that quickly falters. “Katniss, what’s wrong?” He asks cupping my face into his hands, a worried frown on his forehead.

“I… I’ve never… I—“

Peeta pushes the door open and scoops me up into his arms— much like yesterday— and brings me inside, to the tiny living area, where he deposits me on a chair and kneels before me.

“Breathe, Sweetheart.” He tells me. “Do I need to fetch your mother?” He asks quietly.

I shake my head and try to calm myself down. “I’m sorry.” I finally get out. “I just panicked for a moment, because…” Again my words get stuck in my throat.

Peeta’s eyes search me for a moment, and then something like understanding passes through his face. “Katniss, it’s alright if you need time to adapt. You weren’t planning on marrying me two weeks ago. This is all so new and unexpected for you. It’s fine to be apprehensive.”

“I have duties to you.” I say in a small voice avoiding his eyes.

“Your only duty is to tell me how can I help you make this transition more bearable for you. I’ll do anything you want. I’ve already told you that.” His voice is soft and his hands rub warmth into mine, until I can look into his eyes again. So blue, so sweet.

“Gale kissed me when I was fifteen, after I boasted aloud I was never going to get married. He claimed he had to do that, at least once.” I’m not sure why I’m telling him all this other than it’s the only thing I can think of right now. “I think he thought he’d change my mind by the time I was of age. I guess he never had a real chance once you came in the picture?” I give a strained laugh. “Also, I’ve been having these oddly erotic dreams about werewolves the past few months. I don’t know how to feel about them. I don’t normally remember the dreams when I wake up, but on my birthday, you licked me— my neck and face— when you were a wolf, and I thought you were going to… you know. I’ve never been with a man, let alone a wolf, and I don’t think I want to sleep with you while you’re a wolf, so… there’s that—“

“Whoa! Katniss, back up there.” He says tilting my face towards his again because I keep staring at my lap instead of him. “Sweetheart, that’s not how things will be between us. Not ever. I’ll be a wolf for a night every full moon. You’ll stay home under lock and key, and I will come back to you the next day, when I’m a man again.

“I didn’t mean to scare you, or make you feel threatened during our encounter that night. It was nice introducing my wolf to the girl I’ve dreamed off for so long. He rather liked you too, enough to let me take control of my mind over my killer instincts. But Katniss, my wolf won’t ever have sex with you, unless you turn into a wolf yourself, and that’s something I will never ask of you. The process is painful and frightening.”

“You’re being oddly understanding.” I blurt out. “Why? How are you so calm and collected?”

“I’m not.” He says shrugging, then sits cross legged on the rug at my feet. “I’m actually freaking out, because you just spilled your guts all over me with these fears and thoughts, and now I feel like I should come clean to you too.”

He eyes me from the corner of his eyes, before looking away.

“I’ve been jealous of Gale even before officially meeting you. I knew your mother was hoping you’d marry him, because she was afraid of me coming to claim you and turning you into the mutt,  same as me. I asked for her permission to talk to you at least once each year since you were eleven. I wanted to court you so badly, but your mother always said no. By the time you were sixteen, I had heard so many variants of why I should stay away from you, I was convinced you were better off without ever knowing me, so I dedicated all my attention to Glimmer instead.

“Glimmer was a werewolf, from a good family. She could’ve made a good wife and Madam Alpha. She was sweet when she wanted to be, but the prospect of her title started to go to her head. My infatuation with you was the worst kept secret among the pack, so I tried avoiding you, avoid thinking of you when I got engaged to Glim. It was alright for a time, but then I would catch a whiff of your scent in the air, and I’d be drawn to it like flies to flame. I’m ashamed to admit this, but I knew you were at the river doing your washing rituals that morning.”

I stare at him incredulously. “So Gale was right to attack you?” I ask more sarcastically than actually angry.

He shakes his head. “I never meant for things to go the way they did. I just wanted to see you for a second, then go on my way. But I forget your mother can sense other wolves, particularly _me_ when you’re around.”

“So she overreacted is what you’re saying? And this here mess is all your fault anyway?”

He shrugs. “I usually just want to hear you sing, really. On days you’re out hunting I've tread as close to you as I could without being seen, and waited until you sang or hummed a song, and then I’d scurry away when my heart was full again with the lovely music from your voice.” He falls silent. “It’s just ironic that an ill advised decision cost me my fiancée’s life and your mother’s overreacting ended with you married to me. Both our worst fears— your mother’s fear of seeing you married to a wolf, and my fear of conflict with your tribe— became true, just because we couldn’t dial down our impulses.”

“You like my singing?” Is all I can think to ask.

He smiles boyishly to his boots. “I adore your singing. It’s my favorite thing in this world followed by watching a beautiful sunset.”

“When did you hear me singing?” I roll my eyes at myself, since he just confessed he’s been stalking me while I sang in the woods. “Where did you hear me singing for the first time?”

Peeta looks at me. “The first time, you were around five years old. You were singing The Valley Song to a group of children by the river. Then, every time the Chief took you hunting, he’d start a song and then you’d chirp it away and I swear every bird around the woods would fall silent to hear you both singing.” He clears his voice. “It’s the first thing your mother fell in love with after meeting your father, you know. His singing voice. Then after I heard yours, I knew, just like your mother, I was a goner.”

“You’re making this up. You can’t possibly have liked me all those years.”

“Oh no, it's a true story.”

“But… why never say hi? Why listen to my mother? You could’ve just show up and talk to me when I was alone, you know. That whole thing you did on my birthday, demanding a wife. That would’ve worked too without all the drama.” I wave my hand vaguely at him, but he winces.

I’m about to apologize, convinced that I've offended him, but he shakes his head.

“That was so wrong of me, Katniss. I shouldn’t have forced you into this marriage like that. I twisted your arm. Heck, I twisted everyone’s arms. I’m sorry.”

I risk touching his cheek, startling him. His eyes widened, looking up at me.

“Don’t be sorry. Just… be a good husband and keep your promise of peace. We will be fine.”

“I will do that. For you. For us and our people’s future.” He takes my hand and presses a kiss to the top.

My reaction is instantaneous. A low heat burns my loins, every nerve-end fires up, and my lips suddenly feel dry and needy.

“We should get ready for bed.” I say without thinking of the implications.

He nods, but I catch the way his pupil contracts to a point, before expanding back to normal. “I’ll show you to the bedroom. I can take a sleep-roll out here if you want me to.”

I don’t say anything to that. I’m not sure what I want, not until I’m in the small bathroom and see that gift my mother left behind for me. It’s a delicate nightgown I’ve seen her in a handful of times. I know it’s one of her favorites from where she lived here with the pack. It has lace on the top and a very low neckline that most likely will leave half of my chest exposed, and the rest is a gossamer material that feels like nothing to the touch. It reaches the top of my knees, leaving the rest of my legs bare.

I put it on, and feel beautiful in it. Beautiful enough to ask a boy to follow me into bed.

I unbraid my hair and finger comb it because it feels like the right thing to do, and then wash my face in the basin. I pat my skin dry and look at my reflection in the mirror by the basin. My cheeks are a nice rosy color, whether from the sun or my own blood pooling on my cheeks, I’m not sure, but I think it looks rather appealing, and I cross my fingers, hoping Peeta thinks so too.

I come out of the washroom, pushing down my nervousness by twirling a lock of hair around my fingers. “Peeta?” I call him softly.

“Is the bathroom available—?” His breath hitch as soon as he turns from the bedroll his unfurling on the floor and his eyes land on me.

His Adam’s Apple bobs in his throat and I find it mesmerizing. His mouth is open, but no sounds come from it for a while, so I dig around for some courage and speak before he can regain his voice.

“Come to bed with me?”

All he does is nod curtly and abandons his bedroll where it is, taking my hand in his, and although I delivered the invitation, he’s the one leading the way.

“We don’t… have to do anything—“ he starts, but I cut him off.

“I’ve never done anything other than kissing Gale once, and even then, I didn’t do anything. I just stood there perplexed it was even happening.”

“I— you’ve already mentioned. That.” He swallows while his eyes rove over my face. “I won’t do anything without your express permission.”

“Have you?” I ask out of the blue. “Have you done this before?”

His lips thin out for a second, I’m in the middle of telling him that never mind, he doesn’t have to tell me, when he nods. And now I’m both ashamed of myself for asking such a question right now, and vexed that he’s actually slept around when he’s supposedly been holding a torch for me all this time.

I’m scowling, and I’m not thinking straight, but my mouth is running before I can stop myself, “How many? When?”

Peeta blinks at me and arches an eyebrow. “You really want me to answer that?” He asks with an edge of amusement in his voice.

“No! Of course not! Why would I want to know that?”

“Well, for starters… you asked. But as long as you’re sure.”

“I am sure! And I demand you stop thinking of them right this second. You’re a married man now!”

He smirks at that, but has the good sense to turn away from me so I don’t have to see his smug face.

I keep forgetting he’s got this speed thing about himself, because after a minute of silence, he’s suddenly right in my face, breathing heavily and ghosting his fingers over my cheeks.

“I never pegged you for the jealous type.” He murmurs so close to me, all I’d need to do is lift on my tiptoes and our lips would be touching. “I think I like it, though you have nothing to be jealous about. You’re all I could ever see.”

“You never kissed your bride today. What kind of groom are you?” I ask petulantly.

“A nervous wreck one?” He chuckles. “But this can be fixed, my lady. With your permission…”

“Stop asking, and do it already!”

“As you wish.”

Then his lips are on mine, and his hand is cradling my neck, the other one lands on my waist, just as my own rest on his chest. The sensation is new and exciting, and soon I need air; I push him away from me just an inch, and breathe in mouthfuls until my lungs hurt.

“How was that, my lady?” He doesn’t sound any better than I do, so I count it as a victory.

“Good… for a start. Show me more, sir.”

“Gladly!”

This time when he dives in, he doesn’t hold back. He tilts my head to one side and the tip of his tongue caresses my lower lip until my mouth opens up to his, and then he’s plundering me hungrily. His arms hold me tightly against him. My chest is pressed to his, and I think to myself how nice it feels to be this close to him.

“Katniss, you’re a vision in this,” he mumbles against my jaw, bunching up my nightgown in his hand. “But, can we take it off?”

I moan softly, nodding my head unable to answer with words.

“Thank you,” he grinds the words into my throat, just a his hand slides down my shoulder, taking with it the strap of the gown down my arm. His lips follow his hand, and then he’s licking the same spot he did as a wolf, only this time his tongue feels much smaller and softer.

He repeats the action on the other shoulder, until the material falls down my body, to pool at my feet. There’s a vague notion on the back of my mind, telling me I should feel some kind of shame about all this. But my mind is turning to mush the longer Peeta kisses my skin, and then nothing else matters, until his hand finds my ribcage, and his thumb swipes the underside of my breast.

I moan, and all my brain can comprehend is that I need his hands on my chest, now!

“Touch me, Peeta.” I breathe out to the ceiling.

His mouth is attached to my collarbone, and he sucks the spot when my own hand takes his and directs it to my breast. He palms me softly for a moment, tentatively kneading the mound under his warm palm, and then his lips are closing around my nipple.

I gasp, and my hands go to his hair. Is the softest thing I’ve ever felt! It reminds me of soft fur, and somehow I know I’ll recognize this texture anywhere for the rest of my life. A thought makes its home into my mind: ‘my mate’.

Peeta’s hands fall off my body, and I hear the rustling of fabrics, buttons being pulled from buttonholes, and boots being toe off feet. He’s wrestling himself out of his clothes, and all I can feel is thrilled.

His mouth gets forced to let go of my nipple once he starts hopping on one foot trying to get his socks off. He makes quick work of it, though, and before I can react, he’s once again picking me up in his strong arms, and carrying me to the bed. He kisses my lips gently, and stands up to slip out of his undergarments. I’m already as naked as the day I was born, and his hungry eyes drink me in with fully dilated pupils, that cover his irises almost whole.

“You’re the most beautiful creature I’ve set eyes upon,” he grunts staring directly at the patch of hair between my legs. He licks his lips then, and that’s when self awareness hits me.

I try to cover up with my hands, but he begs me to let him see. I can’t deny him even that, instead, my legs bend upwards, until my feet are planted on the mattress and my thighs fall open giving him unobstructed view of my most private place.

“So beautiful,” he whispers, kneeling between my knees. He looks up at my face then, “My lady, may kiss your sex?”

“Oh. Is that… allowed?” I ask leaning up on my elbows so I can see his face better.

He smiles with puffy, reddened lips. “Oh yes. It’s allowed. Specially if you say it is.”

“Then go ahead, sir. Show me.”

He gives me a breathtaking smile before diving between my thighs. He proceeds to make out with my labia, the whole time his blown out pupils staring into my eyes.

I’m making all kinds of noises I never knew I could produce, and finally, one of my arms can’t take it any longer, and my hand reaches out for his blond locks. My pelvis is grounding against his mouth purely on instinct, but I think he’s enjoying this as much as I am. His tongue stops licking and plunging in and out of my hidden crevice, just to find a spot at the cleft of my thighs that causes me to arch off the mattress and cry out his name loudly.

He’s like a puppy with a bone. His fingers replace his tongue in my opening, stretching me to the max, while sucking hard on the spot he’d just found until I’m thrashing uncontrollably on the bed. My legs twist around his upper body, until he has to force my thighs down with his forearms.

A sensation unlike anything I’ve ever experienced rips through me. I scream and moan; I claw at his shoulders, and fist the sheets in one hand. I can barely keep my eyes open while convulsing under him, yet every time I manage to look at him, his eyes are trained on mine, on my face. I finally give one last gasp and fall to the mattress, spent and short of breath.

Once I can breathe normally, Peeta climbs up from between my legs; his smile is big and self satisfied.

“You look pleased with yourself.” I rasp out.

This only makes his smile widened. “I am. I just made my wife glow, more radiant than the sun. Such a wild thing to behold, a mutt making a Mockingjay sing so loud and beautifully. Why the mutt can’t help but to love his song bird.”

I bite my lower lip, and study his face.

He’s so handsome, and his clean shaved mug is glistening with so much of my juices, I feel the urge to lick his chin clean.

“Did you enjoy doing that, husband?” I ask him, feeling a thrill at the words.

“Immensely! In fact, I can’t wait to do it again, because you, my beautiful wife, taste delicious. And the noises you make… well, there are other things I can’t wait to do even more.” He says wiping off his face on the bed linens.

“Like what?” I ask turning on my side, and immediately regretting it, since the mess between my thighs has gone cold and drips beneath me.

Peeta’s lips twitch, a deep blush covers his muscular, naked chest, which reminds me he’s nude, next to me, in bed, where I’m completely bare as well.

I groan internally at my brain. The traitor picks the worst possible times to bring up embarrassing thoughts.

But my curiosity wins, and my eyes dip lower down his body, to the big, painfully erect member, bowing to me every so often. The bulbous head of his penis it’s a screaming pink, and for reasons I can’t fathom, I have this urge to kiss it. Lick it even. Wrap my lips around it and— “Can I taste you now?” The words escape my mouth before I can think them through.

“Another time, my pet. I don’t think I could keep myself from spilling my release down your throat right at this second, and I doubt knotting in your mouth would be safe for you anyway.”

I know by the way his lips quiver at the corners, he’s trying to go for levity, but I’m not sure what he means, so I ask ignoring the feeling of inadequacy at my inexperience.

“What does that mean, when you mention a knotting?”

“Oh.” He scrunches up his face in thought. “I guess you wouldn’t know about that, even if you weren’t a virgin.” He says it nervously, trailing a finger up and down the valley of my breasts before rolling my nipple between his fingers. I rather like his touch, I decide. “You see, once you let me put my… _member_ , into you,” he gestures to his bobbing erection, “my body will act closer to a wolf, than a man.”

“Oh. I thought you said—“

He lifts a hand to stop me. “I did.” He confirms. “And I won’t have sex with you while in wolf form.” He says. “But I’m still a werewolf, Kitten. When I finally join with my true mate, my penis will swell a couple of sizes bigger, until our bodies are physically sealed together. It will take at least an hour before things go back to normal, unless I keep orgasming, and that part depends on how still you can stay while we’re knotted. I doubt I will be able to hold back once we start.”

“You’re going to grow. Inside me. More? But, you’re already gigantic! Will you even fit inside me now?” I glare at him, “Mister, if you’re looking to deflower me tonight, those were the worst possible bits of information to share.”

Peeta laughs loudly, and before I know it, he’s tipped my body onto my back and he’s crawling on top of me, devouring my mouth.

“Katniss, I’m falling in love with your fiery personality,” he says nuzzling his nose against my ear. “I can hardly hold back, and you keep stoking my need for you. Please let me have you.” He begs into my neck.

“Claim me then. I’m yours already.” I gasp out.

“Thank you ma’am.” He says rubbing his length between my folds, coating his flesh with my arousal.

But then he’s twisting our bodies around, so my back is flushed against his chest, and his arms can reach all over my nakedness.

“I apologize, my lady, but wolves prefer this position when mating with their significant others. I've never done this with a pure woman, but I’ve heard the first time can be uncomfortable, Sweetheart. I’ll try my best to be gentle. Let me know if there’s anything I can do to make it better for you.” He whispers in my ear, kissing the nape of my neck, caressing my breasts with one hand, and draping my knee over his thigh with the other.

I feel so open and exposed. But his fingers pump in and out of me, getting me ready for himself, and I just tip my head back against his shoulder and give myself to sensation.

“Thank you for giving me the honor of becoming your husband, Katniss. I swear to you, right here, right now, I’ll devote my life to loving you, take care of you, share in your sadness and your joys, and to be your friend and your lover until Mother Moon calls me back to her.”

He takes hold of himself and pushes into me slowly. He groans and I gasp at his sheer size. It feels like he’s pushing all the air out of my lungs with every inch he climbs inside my body.

“Fuck, Kitten.” He grunts into the skin under my ear. “You feel so much better than I could ever imagine. And fuck, have I imagined sinking into you like this, over and over since puberty.”

The use of such profane language startles me at first, because wolves are known for always being so polite and well spoken, but then I figure that curses are permissible during coitus; plus, the coarse language in Peeta’s mouth fits somehow and even thrills me to know the sensations of being inside of me make him lose all his inhibitions.

He groans and sucks on my flesh for a moment. My head is spinning with sensations. The pressure of being so full so suddenly eases, and to my delight the pain of being penetrated for the first time never registers, only an all consuming need that makes me slicker between the legs every time he thrusts remains. 

Peeta bites down on my earlobe as he moves within me, words of amazements and gratitude falling freely from his lips, punctuated by one of his powerful thrusts.

“Your pussy is so tight, Kitten. You hug my cock just right. I knew you would. I knew I would never tire of your scent and your taste since the moment I first licked your skin as a wolf. You’re intoxicating, Sweetheart. I’ve been going mad with want ever since that day my wolf met you. Sometimes I feel like I’m a sick, perverted wolf, daydreaming of this, of you, wrapped around me, looking so damn beautiful.”

Alright, Peeta whispering filth into my ear is even sexier than those crazy dreams I used to have. When his hands start rubbing that magical spot from before, and it’s over for me. I know he owns me forever.

“Oh, Peeta, my husband. My mate. I’m yours!”

It only takes a handful of swipes of his fingers on that knob, along the fullness I feel when he pushes inside me to bring me back to orgasm. My arms flail behind my back, until my hands find purchase on his shoulders and hair. My head is pillowed on his thick arm, and I tilt it enough to capture his lips with mine.

I can feel his movements become more erratic, less fluid. There’s a friction making the coil tighten in my belly again, faster than before, and his aptly named cock does feel like is swelling inside me. And all restraint breaks loose.

“Can I mark you, Kitten? Can I make you my one true mate?” He gasps breathlessly into my ear.

“I… how? I thought this was it.”

“A bite. It takes a bite. Then you’ll be mine for life.”

That doesn’t sound so bad, a bite for a lifetime of feeling this way. I nod my sweaty head eagerly, I figure I’m already his anyway. “Do it.”

He breathes deeply, and I know he’s not completely human, although one glance at his body shows me a man, not a wolf.

“Thank you, my lady. I swear you’ll be my whole life from this moment forward.”

I gasp and shiver at the darkness of his voice, so much deeper and raspier than his normal tone. And then I feel a needle like object tracing my shoulder blade, it reaches the base of my neck, and then a shaky exhale.

“Katniss Everdeen, you belong to me, and I belong to you.”

His sharp canines sink into my flesh, triggering a third climax, leaving me breathless and dizzy. My legs tremble but Peeta’s arms under my knees keep me wide open while pumping into me erratically. His fingers keep a frantic pace on my clitoris.

“No more,” I beg, trying to move Peeta’s hand away from my center. I’m swollen and too sensitive down there to take anymore stimulation.

“One more. Please, Kitten. Give me one more, and then you can rest.” He almost sobs into my hair. “I’m begging you, sweetie. Just one more. I’ll leave you be after.”

I give in. I look into his eyes with my head tipped back as far as it can go. He kisses my lips sweetly, and starts nudging his hips against my backside with what feels like great effort, while his pointer and middle fingers glide over the kernel of sensations, coaxing one more orgasm out of me.

We are both crying out our ecstasy into each other’s mouths. His free hand is cradling my face gently, which is surprising, since every other body muscle is tightly tense. The spot where his teeth bit me feels warm and tender, I vaguely think of tetanus for some reason, but my brain gives the thought up quickly.

“You’re wonderful, Sweetheart.” He mumbles into my mouth. “I love you.”

I try to respond, but I feel like a puddle of goo, all I can do is accept his kisses and try to breathe as normally as I can.

After a while, Peeta brushes away the hair off my face. “Are you asleep?” He asks quietly.

“Mmmm.” I answer, not moving a muscle. I can’t, I’m impale with the biggest, fattest rod possible and I’m afraid that if I move I’ll start convulsing again.

“Kitten? After you rest, would you do me a last honor?” He sounds hopeful, and he’s massaging my scalp, which feels really nice.

“Mmm?”

“Will you sing for me?” He asks.

The question washes away my fatigue… partly. I crack open an eye, and see his face hovering over mine.

“Is just that I miss your lovely voice, and it was a daydream of mine to have you in my arms while you sang and... it would make the day complete for me to hear you sing. I know I’ve asked way too much of you without giving anything in return and I don’t want you think you’re some kind of possession to lord over for me, I just—“ His eyes are so blue and guileless, I have to kiss his mouth to stop his little rant.

“I’d love to, Peeta.” I mumble against his lips. “Of course I’ll sing for you.”

I hum a little lullaby, but I can’t keep my eyes open for the life of me after that. It’s alright, we have the rest of our lives for songs, and I think I know how I want to be repaid when the knot is dissolved. We can’t go anywhere while we’re knotted, and honestly, I’m exactly where I want to be.

 

* * *

 

“The Mockingjay, is a spirit warrior who leads rebellions with her song against tyrannical oppressors. Her voice speaks true, and her heart is valiant—“

“I think you missed your calling, sir. I think your true vocation is that of a bard, or a troubadour even.” I interrupt Peeta’s winded monologue to my distended stomach, while carding my fingers through his hair lazily.

He puts his big, warm hands on my belly and kisses my belly button. “Don’t listen to mommy. She has no idea what she’s talking about. Why if I was a bard, instead of a baker, I wouldn’t be able to stuff her pretty mouth with cheese buns.” He gives me a pointed glare.

I purse my lips thinking about it. “Mmm. You’re right. I am very fond of cheese buns, and bards don’t usually make any money between recitals.” I run my fingers through his soft, blonde curls, and the baby kicks happily in my belly.

“I see you’re both in cahoots!” Peeta exclaims planting another kiss to my bellybutton.

I laugh caressing the spot he just kissed, stretching my legs on the bed. “Less talking, more baking!” I call loudly when he gets up and walks away.

It’s been a year since The Prince and I married, and things have changed for the better. We really grew to love each other in the last year, deep and unconditionally, like a real marriage should; but the improvements don’t stop there.

Our peoples entered a new era of peace and mutual friendship. Against all odds, Gale found a wife from within the Pack, a sweet, soft spoken girl by the name of Madge Undersee. Like my mother, Madge was born without the wolf gene, preventing her from transforming, but Madge’s quiet demeanor has softened Gale greatly, to the point of being unrecognizable; which brings us to Alma’s bitter fate.

After months delving on our families secrets, Gale and I found out Alma had been Alpha Snow’s secret lover. She’d  never gotten over the heartbreak of his overthrowing and subsequent execution, despite the horrible way Snow had always treated her as secret lover. Alma’s biggest regret and heartache was her relationship with the former Alpha never  produced offsprings due to her being barren. Alma felt much resentment towards my father and the Mellarks for their parts in Snows deposition, she made it her life long goal to revenge the fallen despot via Gale. She was able to influence him into believing the Pack was out to get us, and my father was a soft ruler that couldn’t take action when needed, and for a while and without anyone else to relay on, Gale had fallen easy pray to her conditioning. When finally Gale turned his back on her, she snapped. The day Gale married Madge, Alma let the currents of the river take her under, never to come back again. 

It was sad, sad day for Gale. Alma’s final revenge was to marred what should have been her nephew’s happiest day, but thankfully, Madge’s strength and wisdom made all the difference. They’re now living with the Tribe, content and at ease, learning how to lead each other. I won’t be surprised if they announce their first child is in the way any day now, the way my former best friend stares at his wife when she’s not looking reminds me of the way my own husbands looks at me nowadays: full of hunger, longing and bottomless love. 

My father has decided Gale needs more time to mature before taking the chiefdom, and for once, Gale agrees. I think this time around Gale will only make good decisions. Very encouraging.

Things between me and Peeta were trial and error the first few weeks, just like any newlyweds I guess. Some days Peeta would be so overcome with guilt and grief over Glimmer and how fast he ‘forgot’ about her, that he could hardly hold my gaze. Then other days, I’d be so homesick and blue, I’d burrow down into the covers of our bed and wouldn’t come out until Peeta forced me out to eat, bathe and see my family. And yes, he would make the long trip across the river to fetch either my mother or sister, sometimes my father himself, just to show me my family wasn’t as far away as my sadness made it seem.

I think Peeta going the extra mile to keep me grounded is what convinced both my heart and mind, this marriage was solid, despite they way it started. His willingness to show me kindness made me reciprocate when it was his turn to feel out of sorts. On our hardest days, we tried to be strong for the other and little by little, we learned to trust and find solace in one another.

We became best friends too, which is a blessing on its own.

The sex has never been short of espectacular. One wolffish look of his and my undergarments are done for, and I like to think I’ve gotten him into uncomfortable situations countless times just with a bit of brush of my fingers or even a coy smile from across a room. It was no wonder I found myself with child within a few months of our wedding. 

Alpha Mellark has been hinting that after the baby is born, he will step down and leave Peeta as his heir to rule over the pack. He claims to be getting to old. Finnick and his wife, Annie, will still serve as Betas for us, since they are strong and very well liked. Finnick keeps saying he hopes our child is a girl, Annie slaps his chest every time he winks at us, half jesting, and half seriously commenting on how neat it will be to have his son court our daughter when time comes. He wants to be called GrandBeta or whatever if our children marry and have babies of their own.  

Now, as marrying conversations go, Prim has grown into a beautiful young lady, and there’s a wolf whose eyes follow her very move until my mother frowns, and the poor fellow has to shift his gaze elsewhere. I hope Mother doesn’t intervene and cause another bout of conflicts over a wolf courting one of her daughters, but only time will tell.

For now, I’m waiting in bed for my cheese buns, trying to not let on that I’m having contractions, and they’re starting to hurt as hell.


	6. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All mistakes are mine.
> 
> I apologize for long this took. It’s been written for a while, but I just hadn’t had the time to post it. 
> 
> Thank you for sticking with me through this story. I hope you enjoy this lady tidbit!

Heather is dancing in the tall grasses of the meadow without a care in the world. Her little brother, Robin, giggles when the firefly he’s chasing decides to chase him for a change. 

Peeta’s warm, deep laughter follows the children’s happy sounds during their play time, but tonight is a full moon and the sun is already dipping low behind the hills; I hate to call them all back to me and see the disappointment in their faces, but the children are too young to turn yet, and I have never taken the last step to become a full fledged member of the Pack by allowing Peeta to give me the turning bite. The children and I are defenseless humans— until they reach puberty and their other nature manifests itself— Peeta would never allow us to be caught outside the safety of our home during full moon nights. 

“Peeta,” I call. Just a warning, the alarm of a clock. 

My husband’s blonde head pops up over the grass and I spy the blue of his smiling eyes between the golden curls falling messily over his brow, and the brownish blades he’s hiding in. He holds my gaze just for a second before nodding. He stands up, and calls the children to him.

Robin toddles happily into his father’s arms, while Peeta spins the little guy in the air, planting raspberries and kisses on his chubby cheeks. Robin’s peel of laughter gets interrupted by Heather groaning that she’s not “ready to go home”; Peeta chases her around while lifting her brother, like he’s some kind of hawk trying to catch a rabbit. Heather laughs and let’s her father lift her up into his arms too when he finally catches her. 

They stay a few feet away from the place where I’m packing away our picnic. I watch them put their heads together suspiciously. They cast me conspiratory smiles and glances. 

“Whatever you think you’re doing... don’t!” I say using my mom voice, but two pairs of matching blue eyes twinkled in amusement, while a pair of gray eyes just look at me with interest, and then my family is rushing at me, howling like wolves... or at least they little ones try to mimic their father.

“No!” I yelp through my laughter. “Remember! The baby!” I call out loud, and its enough to rein Peeta back.

The children just tackle me with open arms they wrap around my legs and thighs. Luckily, they aren’t tall enough to reach my barely peeking stomach, but all the same, Peeta speaks up with a reminder.

”Gentle, children, gentle. Remember, your little baby sibling is hidden in mommy’s belly, and we have to be very sweet to them.”

”We won’t hurt the baby.” Heather assures us. 

“We kiss the baby!” Adds Robin trying to reach his lips to my belly standing on tip toes.

”Of course we do!” Cries Peeta suddenly, kneeling in front of me, scooping both kids into his arms and squeezing all us into a group hug. 

Six years ago, I never thought I’d found such happiness with the unexpected turn of events that brought me to Peeta and the Pack, but now, I cannot fathom a life without him and our growing family. It’s still a surprise to me that we are expecting our third child, but when Peeta  stands up, still holding the other two and kisses my lips, I feel a hint of the old hunger starting in the pit of my stomach. 

Peeta can smell it, especially today, when his senses are sharpest. 

“Your mother is keeping the children tomorrow, yes?” He asks, and both kids start asking questions excitedly about seeing their grandparents and possibly their Aunt Prim and Uncle Rory— after all, my mother got her wish, and one of her daughters married a tribesman with no Wolf lineage— and their baby cousin, Asher. 

I say nothing. But wink coyly. My husband’s pupils expand and immediately retract, while his nostrils flare. 

“Let’s go home children!” He growls, more than says, but the kids are too engrossed in the prospect of a day at the Tribe that completely miss their father’s slip up. 

This year has been a blessing of mild weather and plentiful harvest. The woods provided enough game to share with the Tribe, and we’ve started new trades with the Tribe last year, when my father finally stepped down and yielded the Chiefdom to Gale and his wife, Madge. I feel extremely confident that our future is in good, capable hands.

So at midnight, when the old dream of a humanoid werewolf— I’ve named Peeta— tries to rip my clothes off and have his way with me, wakes me in a feverish, aroused state, I don’t hesitate on coming outside the house— after making sure the children were safely tucked in bed, asleep— and wait.

A long, loud howl pierces the night. The full moon above bathes the street and the other houses is a silvery light, and then, there he is. Majestic and imposing. The king of the wolves, the Alpha of the Pack, my husband. 

He doesn’t move for a long moment, his unearthly lupine blue eyes study me carefully. He takes a few slow steps towards me, giving me the chance to hurry back inside, but I step out of my porch step, and toward the huge, silver-blonde wolf. I’m barefooted and clad only in my thin nightgown. 

“I dreamed about you.” I tell the wolf. 

His ears twitch, turning forward, listening intently. 

“I haven’t seen you in so long.” I say quietly, extending my arm, reaching for him. “You’re as beautiful as the first time I saw you.” I say.

Peeta places his warm, moist nose against the palm of my hand.

”Have you missed me?” I ask the wolf. 

He responds with a small whimper, and after I’ve let my fingers stroke his muzzle, he surges forward, surprising me. He buries his snout into the hollow of my neck, nosing the place where his teeth marked me as his so many years ago, and his warm, soft tongue licks the spot, soothing. 

I’m overwhelmed by his sheer size! My fingers tangle in his soft fur, and I breathe in his scent... under the wolf, there’s still cinnamon and dill from the breads we baked earlier today. Under the wolf, there’s my Peeta, safe and steady. Dependable and strong.

“I think I’m ready, Peeta... to run in the wild like one of you. Once this baby is born... make me your mate in this form too, I want to be part of the pack.”

He makes a strangled sound, full of emotion and excitement. His tail is wagging and he starts giving me long, wet, licked kisses all over my face. 

“I love you, Peeta. I know you love me too. Our love is real.” 

I’m ready to turn. Life is an adventure, and I want to live every possible minute of the rest of it, running next to Peeta: my husband, my Alpha, my mate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave me a comment, or come say hi on tumblr @alliswell21.

**Author's Note:**

> Since Mr. Everdeen is alive and well in this story, I figured Katniss should be a bit peppier. She’s not starving, nor is she trying to keep her family alive, so her motivations are slightly different. 
> 
> Mrs Mellark is also missing, which is neither here nor there, I just needed an excuse for Delly to Madam Alpha that wasn’t gross. 
> 
> I was asked to write an Epilogue for this story, so one will be posted here as new material at the end of the fic. 
> 
> I encourage everyone to go read the rest of submissions to this years EFE over on tumblr. The stories are amazing!


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